efforts were successful," said Aldred ruefully. "I don't think
Mademoiselle will ever forget my wretched _bouillon maigre_. I'm afraid
she won't accept an invitation to dine at the cottage again."

"Well, she won't have us for cooks in any case, for we shan't get
another day here now until next term. I wish our turns could come
oftener!"

"Yes, we could do with a whole row of cottages."

"I'm afraid Miss Drummond won't build them."

"No, I suppose they cost too much."

The girls felt they had earned a rest after their labours, so they sat
chatting for a while in the sitting-room before they began to clear away
the remains of the feast.

"The others are looking forward tremendously to coming to tea," said
Mabel. "It was nice of Miss Drummond to let us ask the whole Form."

"Well, we were allowed three visitors, and it would have been so hard to
choose which. The two who were left out would have been so offended; and
it really would have been hard on them, when they thought of the fun the
rest were having."

"Look here!" cried Dora, starting up, "do you know it's a quarter-past
two? If we're expecting five girls to tea at half-past four, we shall
have to bestir ourselves and make some cakes."

"And there's the jam! We mustn't forget our precious blackberries,"
added Aldred.

[Illustration: "WITH A SHRIEK SHE DREW SWIFTLY BACK"]

An unpleasant surprise awaited them in the kitchen. They had forgotten
the very existence of the stove while they were talking, and the fire
was out. Until it was rekindled there did not seem much prospect of
either cakes or jam. Dora and Aldred hastened to the rescue, while Mabel
cleared the table, swept up crumbs, and generally tidied the
sitting-room.

"We must manage to make it burn up quickly, or we shan't have the oven
hot in time," said Aldred; and going into the scullery, she fetched the
paraffin can, and poured a liberal amount over the pyramid of sticks and
coal in the grate.

"Miss Reade said we were never to use paraffin!" objected Dora.

"Well, I suppose it's wrong in theory," answered Aldred, "but it's good
in practice. I've seen the housemaid use it at home, when Aunt Bertha
was out of the way. There's nothing like it for making a blaze. There!
I've put on the lid, so if you will set a light to it, you'll see it
will catch at once."

Dora knelt down in front of the stove, struck a match, and applied it to
the paper. Then, instantly, a horrible thing happened. The