m quite sure that you are not allowed to stay away in order
to roast chestnuts!"

"There's no rule that says we mayn't, that I know of," said Jack,
rather impudently.

The mistress glared at her.

"Don't be impertinent!" she said. "If you are allowed to do it, why
did you attempt to conceal the chestnuts? Come with me to Miss
Oakley--we will see what she has to say about it."

Any other mistress would have dealt with the affair herself, and not
have taken it up to the Head in such a drastic manner. Jack gave a
gasp of dismay. But she realised the futility of arguing with Miss
Burton, and with a shrug of her shoulders she walked towards the door.
Nita and Gerry followed in her wake, and the three culprits were
marched along the corridors to the headmistress's study, Miss Burton
keeping a strict eye upon them and bearing the chestnuts in her hands.

Miss Oakley was enjoying a quiet hour in her study, but she aroused
herself at once to attend to the mistress's complaint. Miss Burton was
a newcomer, and although the headmistress had realised already that her
methods were not altogether the methods in vogue at Wakehurst Priory,
yet courtesy as well as school discipline demanded that her complaints
should be attended to. So she listened gravely enough to the recital
of the reprehensible conduct of the three Lower Fifth girls, and their
attempted concealment of the chestnuts.

"Geraldine Wilmott had hidden them in her pocket," said the mistress,
having made out the worst possible case against the three culprits.
"That shows that she had a guilty conscience, I am inclined to think
that this girl is the worst of the three. She was very rude and
insolent to me the other morning in class."

Miss Oakley glanced at Gerry's crimson face in surprise. The new girl
always seemed so shy and quiet that rudeness and insolence were about
the last things she expected from her. However, whatever the facts
might be of the incident in class, they had nothing to do with the
matter in hand, and she turned again to her contemplation of the
chestnuts.

"May I ask where you obtained these chestnuts?" she inquired mildly.

Jack answered for the other two.

"Nita and I got them while we were out walking this afternoon, if you
please, Miss Oakley."

"I don't think it does please me," said the mistress quietly. "The
only chestnut trees that I know of near here belong to Sir John Boyne,
and I know he is very particular about tresp