to play such a rag on us," fumed Regina, rubbing
her damp hair with a towel.

"I thought nothing but a monkey could climb up those rocks. Boys have
nine lives. I shan't be scared another time, whatever mad tricks he
plays," declared Lesbia, buttoning her blouse in a hurry at the sound of
the welcome tea-bell. "All the same," she added to herself, "Regina's
far fonder of that Stripling than she'll admit, though they _do_ spar.
She had umpteen dozen fits when she thought he was drowned. If she
really has such a warm corner for him, why, in the name of all common
sense, can't she show it and be decent to him? I don't believe in people
making a palaver about you when you're dead. If they've anything nice to
say they'd better say it while you're alive and will enjoy hearing it.
That's my opinion."

CHAPTER XVI

Friction

Lesbia returned to Kingfield High School to find herself a member of the
Sixth Form, and a prefect, as well as an assistant teacher to the
juniors. She had expected it, but the honours were none the less
satisfactory. She had longed to be a prefect ever since her first year
in the kindergarten, and had kept this goal for her ambition all the way
up the school. It had always seemed a far more enviable position than
that of head mistress. The girls who had annually held prefectships had
been heroines in her eyes. It was something to feel she had worked her
way from the baby of the school to rank as one of its principal
officers. There was not a single other girl with such a long record as
hers. The "Head" of the Sixth this year was Carrie Turner. By strict
precedence of examinations Regina was really top, but she was such a
newcomer that Miss Tatham considered she would not have enough
experience in the ways of the school, and had given the preference to
Carrie, whose marks were second best, and who was a naturally better
leader. The other prefects were Marion, Calla, and Aldora, altogether
making a set of six. It was considered a particularly enviable post at
Kingfield High School, because, as well as conferring authority, it
carried several privileges. Prefects, and prefects only, had a right to
use the gate room. Kingfield was a mixture of ancient and modern, and,
though the High School was an unromantic, commodious nineteenth-century
building, a corner of it adjoined one of the old mediaeval town gates.
This gate, which now only arched a side street, had originally been one
of the main entran