d always longed to
explore the theatrical boxes. Everybody was out at hockey, and there was
not a soul to see her and report her. The temptation was too great; she
succumbed, and next moment was running up the stairs, all agog with the
spirit of adventure. The door of the Observatory was open. It was not a
remarkably large room, and was fairly well filled with the various stage
properties. Large windows occupied the four sides, and the roof was a
glass dome. Marjorie peeped about, opened some of the boxes and examined
the dresses, and inspected a variety of odd objects, such as pasteboard
crowns, fairies' wings, sceptres, wands, and swords. She was just about
to try on a green-velvet Rumanian bodice when she turned in alarm. Steps
were heard coming up the staircase towards the Observatory. In an
instant Marjorie shut the box and slipped behind one of the screens. She
was only just in time, for the next moment Miss Norton entered the room.
Through a small rent in the oilcloth which covered the screen Marjorie
could see her plainly. She went to the window which faced the sea and
gazed out long and earnestly. Then she opened one of the theatrical
boxes, put something inside, and shut it again. One more look through
the window and she left the room. The sound of her retreating footsteps
died down the stairs.

Marjorie had remained still, and scarcely daring to breathe. She waited
a moment or two, lest the teacher should return, then descended with
extreme caution, scuttled back into the schoolroom, and started once
more to copy poetry.

"It was a near squeak!" she thought. "The Acid Drop would have made a
fearful row if she'd caught me. It makes one feel rocky even to think of
it. Oh dear! I must brace up if I'm to get all the rest of this done
before tea."

She wrote away wearily until the dressing-bell rang, then washed her
hands and went into the hall. The one topic of conversation at the
tables was hockey. The points of the various members of the teams were
criticized freely. It appeared to have been an exciting afternoon. A
sense of ill usage filled Marjorie that she had not been present.

"I think the Empress was awfully hard on me," she groused. "I believe
she'd have let me off more lightly if Norty hadn't given her such a list
of my crimes. I wish I could catch Norty tripping! But teachers never do
trip."

"Why, no, of course not. They wouldn't be teachers if they did," laughed
Betty. "The Empress would soon p