ot really
so puzzling as she imagined. She was too quiet and shy to have won
popularity easily in any case, even without her nerves, in such a big
school as Wakehurst Priory; and, unfortunately for her, she had made
two very bad enemies on the first day of term in Dorothy Pemberton and
Phyllis Tressider.

Without being altogether bad-hearted, these two girls were responsible
for a great deal of trouble in the school. They both possessed what so
many of the girls lacked--personality; and they had a large following
amongst their own set of girls who admired them for their ingenuity in
mischief and the spirit of dare-deviltry which seemed at times to
possess them. They had been "up against" Gerry from the very
beginning, owing to the fact that Gerry had innocently usurped
Dorothy's cubicle; and a series of unlucky accidents, occasioned by
Gerry's newness to school ways and her rather unfortunate disposition,
had simply played into their hands.

For some while Gerry was left in peace in the solitude of the
classroom. But luck was against her that night, as it had seemed to be
so often during the term. As a rule nobody ever dreamt of going near
the classrooms after supper, but to-night Miss Burton must needs
require a book from her desk and come to fetch it. And suddenly poor
Gerry was startled by the abrupt opening of the schoolroom door and the
switching on of the light.

She rose to her feet in a panic to find Miss Burton regarding her in
surprised disapproval.

"Geraldine Wilmott! What are you doing here? Of course you know that
it is strictly against the rules?"

"Yes, I know," said Gerry lamely, unable to think of any excuse for her
presence in the classroom at this unauthorised hour. Dorothy or
Phyllis or Jack would have thought of dozens in a moment! Indeed, it
did not occur to her that there was any excuse to make. She was too
fundamentally honest to try and wriggle out of the scrape as
ninety-nine out of a hundred schoolgirls might have done. Miss Burton,
however, with her lack of understanding, interpreted her reply as bald
defiance, and was correspondingly severe.

"Then that means another bad mark for you. Really, you are
incorrigible! I shall be obliged to report you to Miss Oakley if you
don't soon make a decided improvement in your conduct. Go back to your
sitting-room at once. And don't forget to give in your bad mark
to-morrow morning."

Gerry wandered disconsolately back through t