n such a mad, not to say noisy stampede,
that Miss Todd issued from her study like a lion from its lair, and
fixed the culprits with the full concentrated power of what the girls
called her "scholastic eye".

"Winifred and Diana," she remarked in calm, measured tones, "if I have
to remind you again about walking quietly in the passages, it will mean
forty lines for you both, and I should be sorry to have to give
punishments on the first day of term."

The tempestuous pair, very much sobered down, tip-toed away, and went to
unpack their possessions in their separate dormitories. Diana found
Loveday in the ivy room, and burst in upon her with as much of the
bubbling-over spirits as she dared to exhibit, hugging her till she
nearly choked her.

"I've missed you loads, Loviekins!" she assured her. "It felt queer to
be in bed, and not have you on the other side of a curtain. I used to
wake up in the night and begin to speak to you out of sheer force of
habit. I wanted my 'little elder sissie' awful bad sometimes! Did you
miss me the least tiny atom? Do you care that much for your 'pixie
girl'?"

"Of course I missed you, darling! I'm just delighted to see you again!
It's nice to be back. I haven't enjoyed the holidays _very_ much. I
never do----"

"I know," said Diana sympathetically, as Loveday hesitated. "I could
read that between the lines, in your letters. You wrote me absolutely
ripping letters! I loved them! You were a dear to write so often. It
must have taken heaps of time."

"I'd nothing very much else to do," sighed Loveday, disengaging herself
gently from Diana's arms. "Let me go, child! I haven't half finished my
unpacking, and you haven't even begun yours yet."

"_Bust_ the unpacking!" said Diana naughtily. "I don't feel inclined to
be tidy; I shall just shovel armfuls of things out, and pitch them
anyhow into the drawers. Yes, Loveday Seton, I feel like that! I'm 'fey'
to-day, as the Scotch say, and must 'dree my weird'. Don't quite know
exactly what that means; but I guess I've got a little pixie imp dancing
around inside me, and he's going to make me do something crazy. There's
no help for it! It's kismet!"

"And Miss Hampson is also kismet!" said Loveday, leaving her own box and
coming to the rescue of Diana's garments, which were being literally
pitched into the drawers with no regard at all for their condition.
"Look how you're crushing your blouses! Go and sit on the bed, and let
me do it. There