he scandalous result, but called for the marks for
algebra. Once again the same comedy was enacted. Then came the good
marks obtained from Mademoiselle, and then the last class for
literature. Muriel did not ask any questions respecting these.

"You have none of you any marks for literature," she said. "Any bad
marks to give in?"

There were several, and the head girl's eyebrows went up as she put
them down.

"Is that _all_?" she asked sarcastically, when at last she had disposed
of all the upraised hands. Then she closed the mark-book and prepared
to descend from the high desk.

"I hope you are pleased with your morning's work," she said, and went
out of the room, leaving a somewhat discomfited Lower Fifth behind her.

"I say! The fat _is_ in the fire if all the Sixth know about it!" said
Dorothy uncomfortably.

"What a perfectly, beastly mean sneak that Miss Burton is!" exclaimed
Phyllis.

"Well, all I can say is, we shall have to make things so beastly
uncomfortable for her that she'll just _have_ to go!" said Jack
vindictively. Then she relapsed into a rather sheepish grin. "At any
rate, it is to be hoped that we shall," she said. "For we've certainly
succeeded in making things beastly uncomfortable for ourselves."

A remark with which the whole form mournfully agreed.

CHAPTER XVI

A GREAT DECISION

"Done your lines yet?" inquired Jack, catching Gerry up just as the
latter was going into the Lower Fifth classroom for preparation that
evening.

"Very nearly," said Gerry. "I've only got about another ten to do, I
think. I've come in early so as to finish them and take them up to
Miss Burton before the prep bell goes. How are you getting on with
yours?"

"Oh, about half-way through, I think," said Jack carelessly. "But it
doesn't matter. I shall do them in prep to-night instead of any of
Miss Burton's work. I shouldn't bother about them at all if it wasn't
Miss Oakley who had set them. As it is, I shall have to do them, I
suppose. It doesn't pay to disobey the Head, I can tell you," she
added, with emphasis.

Jack and Gerry were not the only two members of the Lower Fifth who had
come in early for preparation that night. When they entered the
classroom, they found several of the girls there already. Most of them
were gathered around Hilda Burns's desk, apparently endeavouring to
persuade her to some course of action.

"Here's Jack!" exclaimed Dorothy Pemberton in a tone of