doubt the little boy's mother is blessing you.
We should have had to take him to Pendlemere with us, and have sent
somebody from the village to take him home. There would have been no
other way. Remember, though, that I'm responsible for you to your
parents, and I really can't allow these harum-scarum tricks. Suppose
there had been an accident!"

"Dad knows me, and he wouldn't have blamed you," said Diana cheerily.
"He says I'm like a cat with nine lives, or a bad halfpenny that always
turns up again. I've done worse things than this."

"Then you won't do them while you're at this school," returned Miss Todd
firmly, motioning her to walk along in front with Geraldine.

On Monday afternoon, with the aid of some ribbons, the girls made their
rushes into pretty little sheaves. They plaited bands for them, and
twisted them securely. Miss Todd, much interested, superintended their
operations.

"You may pick some flowers from the garden to-morrow, and put garlands
round them," she suggested. "We're reviving a most ancient custom that
dates back to the early days of Christianity in Britain. Pope Gregory IV
recommended that on the anniversaries of the dedication of churches
wrested from the Pagans, the converts should build themselves huts with
the boughs of trees round their churches, and celebrate the day with
feasting. The rush-bearing is probably the last relic of that ancient
ceremony. At one time there was always a village feast in connection
with it, though it degenerated at last into a sort of rustic saturnalia,
and had to be suppressed."

"Old customs are very interesting," said Diana, staring at the Principal
with wide-open, steady eyes.

"I'm glad you find them so."

"It's nice to see them _all_ kept up. If we have the rush-bearing
to-morrow, oughtn't we--just to revive an old ceremony--to have the
feast as well?"

A rustle passed over the school at Diana's temerity. Miss Todd returned
the steady gaze, then the corners of her mouth twitched.

"You've stated the case very accurately. As a matter of fact, I have
ordered seed-cake and scones, and have invited the Vicarage people to
tea."

CHAPTER VI

French Leave

The sheaves of rushes were duly carried into the church, and stacked
artistically in the deep window-sills, where they gave somewhat the
effect of a harvest festival. The girls were eager to lay bundles of
them in the particular pews occupied by the school, but the verger, who
looked a