ng. As it was a Saturday evening there was, of course, no
school work to be prepared, and the form was at liberty to discuss to
its heart's content the subject which was occupying its mind so
entirely.

It was Hilda Burns who made the suggestion that appealed most strongly
to the form.

"I think we ought to make her a public apology," she announced
dramatically, "to let the whole school know what beasts we have been."
And her idea was taken up with much acclamation by the other members of
the Lower Fifth.

"Yes, let's!" said Dorothy eagerly. "Let's go now and ask Muriel to
call a school meeting, and then we'll ask for Gerry to come down to it,
and we'll all step out in turn and tell her how frightfully sorry we
are for having been such rotters, and ask her to make it up!"

"Come on," said Phyllis. "We'll go to Muriel now." And the form
trooped off to the head girl's study.

Muriel was having a private tea-party in her own room with Monica and
Jack Pym. The latter had disappeared since the hockey match, although
the other members of the Lower Fifth had been too excited to notice it
before. Tea in their private studies was a privilege the Sixth Form
girls were entitled to on Saturdays and other holidays if they liked;
and to-day Muriel had asked Jack to join in the cosy little party. The
head girl was not an unobservant individual, and she had noticed Jack's
unhappy face and remorseful manner during that walk down from the
hockey field. And after they had seen Gerry safely into Sister's care
she had invited the younger girl to come and have tea with Monica and
herself. The three had been having a very serious discussion
respecting Gerry Wilmott and her troubles as they sat round the study
fire.

"Good gracious! How many more of you are there?" exclaimed Muriel, as
one by one the Lower Fifth squeezed themselves into the small room.
"Is that all? Margaret Taylor, you're nearest; do you think you can
manage to shut the door? Now, then, what have you all come about?"

Dorothy acted as spokeswoman.

"About Gerry Wilmott, please, Muriel," she began. "We've come to tell
you what utter beasts and rotters we've been to her all the term----"

"I think I know something about that already," interrupted Muriel.
"Jack's been telling me."

This abrupt announcement rather upset Dorothy's elaborate explanation.
It is disconcerting when you have buoyed yourself up to confession to
find that someone else has done a