e Aldred shudder with apprehension; she was living, she knew,
on a bubble reputation, and at one word it might collapse, and change
her pleasant Eden of appreciation and adulation into a blank desert of
disillusion and contempt.

CHAPTER VIII

Amateur Theatricals

The half-term had seen Aldred at the head of her form, and by dint of
hard application she managed to keep her position there fairly steadily;
with such a clever rival as Ursula to contend against, it was impossible
to win the coveted prize every week, but she scored a success so often
that her average record was higher than that of anyone else. Miss
Drummond was manifestly pleased with her progress; it was not often that
a new girl came so quickly to the fore. Aldred had been sent to her with
a reputation for both shirking lessons and defying authority, so she
flattered herself that the atmosphere of Birkwood had worked a change,
and remedied both these defects.

Aunt Bertha, who was kept well informed of her niece's progress, wrote
to express satisfaction.

"I am glad to hear you are settling down and becoming more reasonable,"
ran her letter to Aldred. "It is high time you learnt sense, and if you
can turn into an ordinary, rational being at the Grange, it will be well
worth having sent you there. I hope the improvement will show itself
during the holidays."

"How hateful she is!" thought Aldred, tearing the letter angrily into
little bits. "She always rubs me the wrong way, and makes me feel I'd
like to do the exact opposite to what she wants. I don't get top to
please her, at any rate! If she would improve during the holidays,
perhaps I might too! I don't care what she thinks of me!"

Keith's approval was a different matter, and it was a keen pleasure to
Aldred to be able to tell him of her triumph, and to receive his hearty
congratulations.

"I know what it is to swat hard," wrote Keith, "so I think you've turned
up trumps, and I'm proud of you. I'll take you into town as often as you
like this Christmas, even to the National Gallery, though I detest the
Old Masters."

With so much to fill up the time, the autumn term seemed to pass very
quickly away. The weeks flew by, and dull November fogs were succeeded
by early December frosts. It was no longer possible to go into the
garden after tea; the days had closed in rapidly, and the lamps were
lighted now by five o'clock. Every afternoon, when the weather allowed,
the girls played hockey