dit that she was able to take her fresh
duties quite calmly, and without any fuss or exhibition of nerves. She
was not a nervy woman, to begin with, and she had made a great point of
cultivating self-control. With her tall figure, clear grey eyes, bright
complexion, and abundant chestnut hair, she made a very favourable
impression upon those parents who had brought their daughters back to
school in person. At the moment when Wendy, Sadie, Tattie, Magsie, and
Vi were sitting grousing in the wheelbarrow, Miss Todd, in the
drawing-room, was completing an arrangement which was largely to affect
their future.

"It's very short notice, of course," she was saying. "But, as it
happens, there's a vacant bed, and I can manage it perfectly well."

"That's just a real relief to me!" replied a pleasant American voice
from the sofa. "We can't take Diana with us to Paris, and I don't want
to burden my cousin with her, so I said to my husband: 'There's nothing
for it but school, only it must be a good one'. Well, we motored along
to the nearest clergyman, introduced ourselves, and asked him to
recommend a real first-class, high-toned British school that would take
in Diana, and he said: 'Why, there's one on the spot here--you needn't
go any farther!' Time was getting short, so we brought her right along.
I must say I'm satisfied with all I've seen, and the talk I've had with
you, and I feel we're leaving her in good hands. My cousin, Mrs.
Burritt, will send over the rest of her things from Petteridge, and if
there's anything else she needs please get it for her. Well, Steve, if
we've to catch that 4.30 train, we must be going."

The tall dark gentleman in the arm-chair consulted his watch and rose
hastily.

"Just time if we put on some speed; but the roads are execrable," he
vouchsafed.

The central figure around whom this conversation had revolved had been
sitting in the window gazing at the view over the lake. She now turned
her head sharply, with an inscrutable expression in her dark grey eyes,
and, walking across to her father, linked her arm in his. He bent down
and whispered a few rapid words into her ear. Her mother patted her on
the shoulder reassuringly.

"You're going to have a good time, Diana. Why, I expect you won't be
wanting us to come back, you'll be so happy here. Address your letters
under cover of the American Embassy, Paris, till we send you the name of
our hotel. Good-bye! Be a good child and a credit to us.