erage, and although she
was still new to the ways of the school, she acquitted herself so
creditably during her first week as to call forth the special
commendation of the form-mistress. It was after the German lesson one
morning that Miss Parrot gave expression to her pleasure at her new
pupil's accomplishments. Geraldine had distinguished herself during
the class, and when Miss Parrot, anxious to see how far her pupil's
knowledge of the language really went, had addressed some question to
her in German, Geraldine had answered it so fluently, and at such
length, in the German tongue, that the class gasped in astonishment.

"Very good, indeed, Geraldine!" said the mistress, and the lesson
ended, but not--so far as Geraldine was concerned--the episode. When
the new girl entered the Lower Fifth sitting-room after school that
morning for the few minutes' interval before the dinner-bell rang, she
was immediately accosted by several members of the form, Dorothy and
Phyllis amongst them, who demanded to know how and where she had
acquired such an intimate knowledge of German.

"I used to live in Germany when I was quite little," answered
Geraldine, becoming nervous and confused at once, as she always did
when she was questioned abruptly. "Didn't you hear me tell Miss Parrot
so, when she asked me how I knew so much?"

"She didn't ask you--you story!" cried Phyllis indignantly.

"Yes, she did--in German," said Geraldine, goaded for once into making
a mild retaliation upon her chief foe. "Do you mean to say you didn't
know enough German to understand that?"

"Well, perhaps we're not all quite as clever as you," retorted Phyllis
cuttingly--"riled," as she afterwards expressed it, by the "swanky air"
Geraldine put on. "But _I_ think it's rather suspicious your knowing
so much German, added to all your other sneaky ways."

"What do you mean?"

Geraldine swung round angrily upon the speaker, aroused for once from
her usual meekness. Phyllis was quick to see that she had succeeded in
annoying her opponent, but she was far too astute to give her any
advantage by making any definite accusation.

"Mean? Oh, nothing!" she replied airily. "Only, of course, if you
_did_ happen to be German, or partly German, it would account for a
good deal, you see." And she slipped her hand inside Dorothy's arm and
drew her chum away.

Geraldine sprang forward to intercept her as she made towards the
doorway.

"If you're implying t