sson that
followed, she was not happy. She was miserable at the part she had
played in getting Jack into trouble, and she had been, also, acutely
conscious of hostile glances from her companions as she made her way
back to her seat. Although it was not altogether her fault, she was
uncomfortably aware that the caricature episode had not by any means
enhanced her popularity with the rest of her form.

School life promised to be rather a difficult affair altogether,
Geraldine reflected with a sigh.

CHAPTER VI

THE GERMAN LESSON

Geraldine was not long in discovering that her gloomy forebodings were
amply justified. No sooner had morning school ended and the mistress
departed from the classroom, than Phyllis Tressider stalked up to her
desk and confronted her.

"You little sneak!" she said angrily. "Going and getting Jack into a
row like that! Don't you know that the first half-holiday in the term
is always given up to selecting the hockey team? Now Jack won't be
able to play, and it's ten chances to one she'll get left down in the
third eleven when she might have been chosen for second with any luck!"

Geraldine remembered then Jack's confidences respecting her prospects
for the second eleven, and her heart sank still lower.

"I--I'm most awfully sorry," she faltered miserably. Then she looked
round appealingly at Jack, who was putting her books away in stony
silence, disregarding the condolences of her form-mates on her hard lot.

"Jack, I'm awfully sorry--truly most awfully sorry," she said
pleadingly.

But Jack was feeling very sore about her lost hockey chances, and not
by any means in a mood for being sympathised with. The tearful note in
the new girl's voice only irritated her, and she said brusquely:

"Oh, all right--there's no need to be sorry. I suppose you couldn't
help it." But she said it in a tone that did not make Geraldine feel
much happier.

Phyllis gave an audible sniff of contempt.

"Couldn't help it, indeed!" she said ironically.

"Well, but truly, I don't see what else I could have done," said
Geraldine unhappily.

"Then you must be an idiot," said Dorothy Pemberton, joining in the
fray. "Nobody with any gumption would have let Miss Parrot catch them
sitting like that. And you _might_ have cleared away that piece of
paper."

"I--I'm awfully sorry," faltered Geraldine again.

"What's the use of being sorry?" cried Dorothy testily. "Being sorry
won't take away Ja