, and you know
what Miss Pratt is. She's about as much consideration as a slave-driver.
'Your tasks, your daily tasks' are what she's out for and we have to
'make bricks without straw', that's to say, learn things without the
time to do it in. How'm I going to manage?"

"We've all got to make sacrifices for the school," said Calla briskly,
"and yours must be doing this book-back. If it takes your prep time and
you get into rows with Miss Pratt, well that can't be helped. You'll be
suffering in a good cause."

"That's all very well, but it's _I_ who'll get the scoldings, and
they'll be the limit."

"Cheerio, chucky. We'll all slack a little and bring down the standard,
so that you won't seem so conspicuous. _You_ won't mind a bad mark or
two, will you, Marjorie?"

"Not at all," beamed that damsel shamelessly. "It's not the first time
by any means."

"We'd better have a rota to slack prep" (Carrie's voice was eager),
"three of us can do it every day in turns, then Miss Pratt won't be too
down on any special one. Bags me to-morrow. I want to go out to tea
anyway."

"Right you are. See how we're backing you up, Lesbia. Isn't it noble of
us? I think we're absolute mascots if you ask me."

CHAPTER X

Pilgrims' Inn Chambers

Rather overwhelmed by the honour thrust on her unaccustomed shoulders,
but buoyed up by the importance of it, Lesbia set to work to consider
the question of a book-back worthy of the form scrap album. She received
no inspiration or even particular encouragement from the Pattersons. As
a family they were intellectual but not in the least artistic. Mrs.
Patterson frowned slightly when her young cousin, bubbling over with
elation, mentioned the matter at the dinner-table.

"Well now, Lesbia," she began, in her deep common-sense tone of voice,
"it's all very well to take up these fads, but what about your lessons?
I think Miss Tatham's making a mistake to let so much time be wasted
over these outside things. Girls have to stick close to their books if
they want to pass exams. Now when Kitty was reading for her matric, she
never went out anywhere, even to a concert or a lecture. Did you,
Kitty?"

Kitty, sprinkling sugar over her roasted apples, shook her head
emphatically.

"It was just jolly well grind, grind from breakfast till bedtime," she
admitted, "I think they're slacking off at Kingfield High nowadays."

"Oh, but it's much more interesting than ever it used to be," urged
Lesbi