"You dear wee thing, take care of yourself," said Dona. "Call at the
kiosk next time you pass, and perhaps another parcel will have arrived
from fairyland."

"I know who the fairies are!" laughed Eric, as his perambulator moved
away.

Escorted by the melancholy Hodson, the girls passed a pleasant enough
afternoon in Whitecliffe. They visited several shops, and had as good a
tea at the cafe as the rationing order allowed, supplementing the rather
scanty supply with ices and sweets. It was much too early yet to return
to Brackenfield, so they suggested making a detour round the moors, and
ending up at school. Hodson acquiesced in her usual lack-lustre manner.

"I'm a good walker, miss," she volunteered. "I don't mind where you go.
It's all the same to me, as long as I see you back into school by six
o'clock. Mrs. Trafford said I wasn't to let you be late. I've brought my
watch with me."

"And we've got ours. It's all right, Hodson, we'll keep an eye on the
time."

It was a relief to know that Hodson was a good walker. They felt
justified in giving her a little exercise. They were quite fresh
themselves, and ready for a country tramp. They left the town by a short
cut, and climbed up the cliff side on to the moors. Though they knew
Eric would not be there that afternoon, they nevertheless determined to
visit their favourite cove. It was an excellent place for flowers, and
Dona hoped that she might find a few fresh specimens there.

The girls had reached their old trysting-place, and were gathering some
cranesbill geraniums, when a figure suddenly climbed the wall opposite,
and dropped down into the road. To their immense amazement it was Miss
Norton. She stopped at the sight of her pupils and looked profoundly
embarrassed, whether at being caught in the undignified act of
scrambling over a wall, or for some other reason, they could not judge.

"Oh! I was just taking a little ramble over the moors," she explained.
"The air's very pleasant this afternoon, isn't it?"

"Yes," replied Marjorie briefly. She could think of nothing else to say.

Miss Norton nodded, and passed on without further remark. The girls
stood watching her as she walked down the road.

"What's Norty doing up here?" queried Marjorie. "She's not fond of
natural history, and she doesn't much like walks."

"She's going towards the village."

"I vote we go too."

They had never yet been to the village, and though Elaine had described
it as no