"I don't know."

"Don't you take dictation in V B? Well, in our form we get it twice a
week, and Miss Lodge makes us correct each other's books. We make it up
to try and exchange with a girl whose writing's pretty like one's own;
then, you see, we can alter things neatly, and allow full marks. It
generally works, but it didn't yesterday."

Ulyth's face was a study.

"You mean to tell me you correct each other's mistakes!"

"Why not?" said Rona, not the least abashed. "Miss Lodge never finds
out."

Ulyth collapsed into a chair. What was she to do with such a girl?

"Don't you know it's the most atrocious cheating?"

"Is it? Why, the whole form does it," returned the Cuckoo unconcernedly.

"Then they're abominable little wretches, and don't deserve to be
candidates for the Camp-fire League. I'm thoroughly ashamed of them.
Have they no sense of honour?"

The Cuckoo was looking perplexed.

"Ulyth Stanton, you're always rounding something new on me," she sighed.
"I can't keep up with you. I keep my hair tidy now, and don't leave my
things lying round the room, and I try to give a sort of twitter instead
of laughing, and I've dropped ever so many words you object to, and
practise walking down the passage with a book on my head. What more do
you want?"

"A great deal," said Ulyth gravely. "Didn't you learn honour at home?"

"Catch Mrs. Barker!"

"But surely your father----?"

"I saw so little of Dad. He was out all day, and sometimes off for weeks
together at our other block. When he was at home he didn't care to be
bothered overmuch."

An amazed pity was taking the place of Ulyth's indignation. This was,
indeed, fallow ground. Mrs. Arnold's comment flashed across her mind:

"What an opportunity for a Torch-bearer!"

"I don't want to be turned into a prig," urged the Cuckoo.

"You needn't. There's a certain amount of slang and fun that's
allowable, but _noblesse oblige_ must always come first. You don't
understand French yet? Well, never mind. All that matters is that you
simply must realize, Rona--do listen, please--that all of us here,
including you, mustn't--couldn't--cheat at lessons. For your own sake,
and for the sake of the school, you must stop it."

"You think a lot of the school!"

"And quite right too! The school stands to us for what the State does to
grown-up people. We've got to do our best to keep the tone up. Cheating
brings it down with a run. It's as bad as tearing up treaties."