myself a failure. Haven't I started well? I arrived half an hour
before everyone else, and booked up all the beds on the far side for
our set. Here you are! A label's pinned to each pillow!"

The six kindred spirits who revolved as satellites in Raymonde's orbit
turned to her with a gush of admiration. It was a brilliant thought to
have labelled the beds, and so secured the most eligible portion of
the dormitory for themselves.

"You're the limit, Ray!" gurgled Aveline.

Aveline was generally regarded as Raymonde's under-study. She was not
so clever, so daring, or so altogether reckless, but she came in a
very good second-best in most of the harum-scarum escapades. She could
always be relied upon for support, could keep a secret, and had a
peculiarly convenient knack of baffling awkward questions by putting
on an attitude of utter stolidity. When her eyes were half-closed
under their heavy lids, and her mouth wore what the girls called its
"John Bull" expression, not even Miss Beasley herself could drag
information out of Aveline. The Sphinx, as she was sometimes
nicknamed, prided herself on her accomplishment, and took particular
care to maintain her character. Raymonde had apportioned the bed on
her right to Aveline, and that on her left to Fauvette Robinson, who
occupied about an equal place in her affections.

Fauvette was a little, blue-eyed, fluffy-haired, clinging, cuddly,
ultra-feminine specimen who hung on to Raymonde like a limpet.
Raymonde twisted her flaxen locks for her in curl rags, helped to
thread baby ribbon through her under-bodices, hauled her out of bed in
the mornings, drummed her lessons into her, formed her opinions, and
generally dominated her school career. Fauvette was one of those girls
who all their lives lean upon somebody, and at present she had twined
herself, an ornamental piece of honeysuckle, round the stout oak prop
of Raymonde's stronger personality. She was a dear, amiable,
sweet-tempered little soul, highly romantic and sentimental, with a
pretty soprano voice, and just a sufficient talent for acting to make
her absolutely invaluable in scenes from Dickens or Jane Austen, where
a heroine of the innocent, pleading, pathetic, babyish, Early
Victorian type was required.

A more spicy character was Morvyth Holmes, otherwise "The Kipper." Her
pale face and shining hazel eyes showed cleverness. When she cared to
work she could astonish her Form and her teacher, but her energy came