ed in emphatic tones.

"Little sycophant!" sneered Morvyth enviously.

"She ought to give it to the soldiers!" snapped Raymonde.

But Miss Gibbs was rattling a row of mugs together as a delicate hint
that the feast was finished, and the Principal was consulting her
watch, and calling to the boatmen to make ready. The monitresses
swept all remaining comestibles into the baskets, stamped out the
fire, emptied the kettles, and proclaimed the camping-ground left in
due order. One by one the boats started on their way down the river,
drifting easily now with the current, and leaving long trails of
ripples behind them. The sun was sinking low in the west, and there
was a lovely golden light on the water, the shadows on the willowy
shore were deep and mysterious, a kingfisher flashed along the bank
like a living jewel. The spirits of the school, already risen to
fermenting point, effervesced into stunt songs composed on the
emergency of the moment, and passed on from boat to boat.

"For we've had such a jolly good day-ay-ay,
As we only get once in a way-ay-ay!
I can tell you it was prime,
Oh! we've had a topping time,
And we wish a little longer we could stay-ay-ay!
With a rum-tum-tum
And a rum-tiddley-um,
We will make the river hum;
So come, come, come,
Don't be glum, glum, glum!
But pass the stunt along and just be gay-ay-ay!"

CHAPTER XVI

Marooned

Amongst other cardinal virtues the practice of philanthropy was
zealously cultivated at Marlowe Grange. The girls made garments for
the local hospital, contributed towards a creche for soldiers'
children, and on Sunday mornings put pennies into a missionary box.
Charity is apt to wax a trifle cold, however, when you never see the
object of your doles; and though ample statistics were provided about
the creche babies, and literature was sent describing the Chinese
orphans and little Hindoo widows, these pieces of paper information
did not quite supply the place of a real live protege. It was felt to
be a decided asset to the school when old Wilkinson loomed upon their
horizon. The girls discovered him accidentally, engaged in the
meritorious occupation of carrying his own water from the well. He had
opened a gate for them, and had touched his forelock with the grace
and fervour of a mediaeval retainer. His pink c