r of the room, came back to Gerry's mind. Perhaps one
girl couldn't do very much towards making things better for the
unpopular mistress, but she could at least refrain from making things
worse. The words Muriel had said to her in the passage about the
hardest way being nearly always the right one, rang in Gerry's ears.
There was no doubt in Gerry's mind as to which was the hardest way!
For all her timidity Gerry had a curious moral courage of her own, and
it seemed to her now that it would be the height of cowardice to give
in just to gain the good opinion of her form-mates. A moment more she
hesitated while she met Jack's astonished, reproachful gaze. Then
conscience triumphed over even that unutterable longing for Jack's
friendship.

"I don't want to be a traitor to the form," she said in a low voice,
yet clear and distinct enough for all to hear. "But all the same, I
can't go on with the strike. I was in Miss Burton's room just now and
she had been crying, and I'm sure it was all about us. Whatever the
rest of you are going to do, I, for one, shall do Miss Burton's
preparation."

"But why, why, _why_?" cried Jack, starting up impetuously and coming
over to Gerry's side. "Don't be a priggish little donkey, Gerry," she
added, not unkindly. "You can't stick out when all the rest of us are
in it. Hang on a little bit longer. We'll come out top of this
struggle, you just see if we don't!"

"I'm sorry," repeated Gerry miserably, "but I can't, Jack. It--it
isn't fair to Miss Burton."

"But who wants to be fair to her?" cried Jack impatiently. "Was she
fair to you the other morning when she accused you of whispering in
class and stuck you in the corner like a baby? Was she fair over
taking that chestnut business up to the Head? Don't be a silly little
fool, Gerry. Chuck your lot in with the rest of us, and let's get rid
of this rotten mistress if we can."

"I'm sorry, Jack, but--but I can't," said Gerry again.

"Oh, Gerry, you can----" began Jack remonstratingly. But Dorothy
Pemberton broke in upon her persuasions with an impatient exclamation.

"Oh, let German Gerry alone!" she said cuttingly. "Of _course_ she
won't stick in with us! She's far too much of a sneak, and far too
much of a coward to risk a row with Miss Oakley. What's the good of
arguing with a coward!"

"Look here, if we're not all going to be in it, I'm coming out too,"
exclaimed Hilda Burns suddenly. "It was all very well stri