girls who can accomplish
herring-bone, omelettes, and simultaneous equations in a breath, as it
were. They are all over the kingdom, and may be seen in the streets and
lanes thereof about half-past eight in the morning and again about five
o'clock in the evening. But the fact is not generally known. Only the
stern and _blase_ members of School Boards or Education Committees know
it. And they are so used to marvels that they make nothing of them.

However, James Ollerenshaw had no intention of striking his flag.

"Mathematics!" he murmured. "I lay you can't tell me the interest on
eighty-nine pounds for six months at four and a half per cent."

Consols happened to be at eighty-nine that day.

Her lips curled. "I'm really quite surprised you should encourage me to
gamble," said she. "But I'll bet you a shilling I can. And I'll bet you
one shilling against half-a-crown that I do it in my head, if you like.
And if I lose I'll pay."

She made a slight movement, and he noticed for the first time that she
was carrying a small purse as black as her glove.

He hesitated, and then he proved what a wise and experienced man he was.

"No," he said, "I'll none bet ye, lass."

He had struck his flag.

It is painful to be compelled to reinforce the old masculine statement
that women have no sense of honour. But have they? Helen clearly saw
that he had hauled down his flag. Yet did she cease firing? Not a bit.
She gave him a shattering broadside, well knowing that he had
surrendered. Her disregard of the ethics of warfare was deplorable.

"Two pounds and one half-penny--to the nearest farthing," said she, a
faint blush crimsoning her cheek.

Mr. Ollerenshaw glanced round at the bowling-green, where the captain in
vain tried to catch his eye, and then at the groups of children playing
on the lower terraces.

"I make no doubt ye can play the piano?" he remarked, when he had
recovered.

"Certainly," she replied. "Not that we have to teach the piano. No! But
it's understood, all the same, that one or another of us can play
marches for the children to walk and drill to. In fact," she added, "for
something less than thirty shillings a week we do pretty nearly
everything, except build the schools. And soon they'll be expecting us
to build the new schools in our spare time." She spoke bitterly, as a
native of the Congo Free State might refer to the late King of the
Belgians.

"Thirty shillings a _wik_!" said James, acting with