that, Fuzzy!
That's forbidden!" Rhoda stared at her in dignified displeasure. "My
name happens to be Rhoda Chester!"

"Congratulate you, I'm sure. Couldn't be sweeter; but you mustn't break
rules, Rhoda Chester, all the same. The rule in this school is that no
girl helps herself at meals, or asks for more, or pays any attention to
her own plate."

"But if I am hungry? If I _want_ more? How am I to get it?"

"You must rely on the thoughtfulness and attention of your neighbours.
Each girl is supposed to look after those beside her, but if she forgets
you must starve in silence, knowing that you suffer in a good cause. I
find myself that a slight nudge applied to the elbow just as the cup is
being carried to the mouth is a useful and judicious reminder... Let me
press a piece of plum-cake upon you, Miss Chester!"

She held out the plate of bread with her squarest smile, and Rhoda
smiled back with a curious sense of elation. She questioned herself
curiously as to its cause, and made the surprising discovery that it was
because Thomasina had spoken to her, and showed some faint signs of
friendliness!

Tea over, there was another game of "Follow my leader," to the top story
of the building this time, where all the length of a corridor was lined
by baggage, with the mysterious addition of a flat wicker clothes-basket
beside each trunk. The house-mistress, Miss Everett, was flitting to
and fro, and explained to the bewildered new girls that as the cubicles
afforded no room for the accommodation boxes they must unpack upstairs,
and carry down their possessions to store in drawers and wardrobes.

For the next hour and a half, therefore, the curious scene was witnessed
of sixty pupils staggering downstairs in turns under the weight of heavy
baskets of clothes, and meeting with sundry adventures by the way. Lazy
girls gave themselves the usual additional share of trouble by
overweighting their load and toppling it over on the floor; hasty girls
tripped on the stairs and collapsed in a heap, with a rain of boots
falling on their head and pins showering broadcast through the
banisters; careless girls took a rest to ease aching backs, then nipped
up the wrong basket and bore it away, to reappear ten minutes later,
puffing and injured, and receive indignant reproaches from the rightful
owners.

Rhoda worked with a will, undisturbed by any such interruptions. It was
with the unconsciousness of habit that she shook o