rieked somebody from ahead, as the 'bus lurched
forward.

Nancy was confused, hurt, and ashamed. The horse splashed through the
puddles and the 'bus plunged and shook over the cobbles.

There were few street lights, and such as there were were dim and
wavering in the mist and falling rain. She could see nothing of
Clintondale, except that huge trees lined the streets.

The girls were cross, or loud. Not one spoke to her kindly. She was
shaken about by the 'bus, and scolded by those whom she was forced to
trample upon when she lost her footing.

The new girl from Higbee was much depressed. All her pride and
satisfaction in being sent to such a popular school as Pinewood had
oozed away.

Her experience with Mr. Gordon added to her unhappiness. She had learned
nothing by going to him. He had even called her disobedient.

If these girls were a sample of Pinewood Hall pupils, Nancy knew that
she had a hard row to hoe ahead of her. And she had not liked the
appearance of those other girls in the train, either.

It was a hopeless outlook. She would have cried--only she was ashamed to
do so in the sight of these sharp-tongued, quarreling sophomores. Poor
Nancy Nelson's introduction to Pinewood Hall seemed a most unfortunate
one.

CHAPTER VIII

THE MADAME

The omnibus lurched through a wide gateway where two huge stone pillars
almost hid a tiny lodge, the latter aglow with lamplight. Pinewood had
once been a famous private estate, and a Vice-president of the United
States had lived in it.

But for many years it had been a girls' school, and Madame Schakael had
come from Germany to be its principal. As a little girl she had attended
the school herself, Nancy knew, and she had afterward--after being an
instructor in college--married a German professor and gone to his
country.

He was now dead and Madame had come back to her native land and to her
much beloved preparatory school.

The door of the lodge opened and Nancy saw a very neat looking woman
with a dark dress and gingham apron standing in the doorway. She waved a
hand and her cheerful voice reached the ears of the wrangling girls in
the 'bus.

"Welcome, young ladies! Are you all right? Are there any new ones
there?"

"We're all sophs but one greeny," called one of the girls. "Glad to see
you, Jessie Pease."

"Thank you, Miss. The new one is to go to the Madame at once. That is
the order. Let her go before supper."

The driver snapped his whip