d Miss
Chatham," she decided, fixing a stern eye on the delinquent at the close
of the court martial, "then this very unseemly exhibition would not have
taken place. Such a thing brings the school into disrepute. I wonder how
many times I have to impress upon you girls the need for quiet and
lady-like behaviour in the streets. You disgrace your badge when you
make yourself conspicuous. It's one of the most annoying matters I have
to enter in my report."

"I'm very sorry, Miss Ormerod," said Lesbia dutifully.

In the cloakroom she was hardly so meek. She was dismayed at the hint
that her escapade would be reported to Miss Tatham, and raged at the
injustice of being scolded for what she could not help.

"I believe Miss Ormerod would have _much_ rather we'd stayed in that
museum all night," she flared. "She'd have let us starve, or catch
pneumonia or rheumatism with sleeping on the stone floor, and wouldn't
have cared a button so long as we didn't attract a crowd. Do you think I
_liked_ climbing over that wretched roof? I hated it. I never felt so
silly in my life as when I came down that ladder and saw everybody
staring as if I were a peep-show."

"Some people thought you were doing a turn for a cinema," chirped
Kathleen.

"You'll probably find an account of it in the evening paper," grinned
Ermie.

"Help! It'll be the last straw with Miss Ormerod if it gets into the
_Kingfield Despatch_. She never liked me before, but I'm the black sheep
of the school at present."

Truly Lesbia was in no favour at head-quarters. She found it most
difficult to combine teaching with her work in the Sixth Form, and to do
both well. If she spent a long time getting up the geography lesson
which she must give to IIB, her own preparation suffered. It was hard to
be counted a slacker, and she longed to justify herself. Twelve years'
experience at school had taught her, however, that the one unpardonable
sin is to "answer back" when scolded, so she curbed her tongue, and
listened with lowered eyelids while Miss Ormerod talked to her on the
poor standard of her weekly exercises and essays, and the necessity of
making greater efforts at self-improvement.

I have mentioned that the prefects at the High School had the special
privilege of using the quaint little room built over the archway which
spanned the road. Lesbia in particular regarded it as a harbour of
refuge. She was now a daily boarder, and when one o'clock dinner was
over she