, tempered the warm sunshine, and
established Birkwood's reputation for a bracing climate. As many lessons
as possible were held in the garden. Each form had its own special
open-air classroom, and the girls easily accommodated themselves to
working out-of-doors.

"When you're accustomed to it, it's no harder than working in the
house," said Ursula. "Of course, just the first day we can't help
staring about a little, to look at birds and things, but we soon get
over that. We're none of us babies, to need four walls round us to keep
our attention, and it is so very much nicer."

The Fourth Form "room" was at the corner of the big lawn, under the
shade of a large oak, almost exactly in the place where Aldred had made
her statue of Venus in the snow. How different the garden looked now in
its summer dress! It was difficult to believe that the asphalt court had
ever been frozen and turned into a skating rink.

"I shall never forget our ice carnival," said Miss Bardsley. "My ankle
is hardly strong yet, and I'm afraid it will always be thicker than the
other."

"You had a long holiday, though," urged Phoebe: "six whole weeks!"

"An enforced holiday is no pleasure; I would far rather have been at my
work. I don't feel that you've made up yet for all you lost while I was
absent."

"Is that why we have a double allowance of Roman history now?" queried
Ursula.

"Certainly it is. You must finish the book this term, if we have to take
extra lessons on it. You naughty girls, don't pull such faces! You ought
to be interested in the Emperors."

"Father says some day he'll take me to Rome, and I shall see all their
marble statues," observed Mabel.

"Lucky girl!" said Miss Bardsley. "I was fortunate enough to spend one
Easter holiday in Rome, and saw the busts of the Emperors at the
Capitoline Museum. They're the most beautiful likenesses in the world.
You'll appreciate Roman history when you've been to the Forum, and the
Colosseum, and all the other famous places."

"Why can't we study history that way?" suggested Ursula. "Suppose you
were to take us all to Rome for a month, and we learnt about Romulus and
Remus when we were sitting on the Capitoline Hill, and about Trajan in
Trajan's Forum, and Diocletian in Diocletian's Bath, and Nero at the
Colosseum: it would be so interesting, and we should really remember
it!"

"No doubt that is the ideal method; but think of the expense! I am
afraid most parents would grumble at t