gela; and go away, both of you!' Then
just as the children slunk off subdued, she recalled them and made a
gesture towards the door. 'There's a new girl over there now, I believe,'
she continued indifferently. 'You'd better see whether she's the right
one; and if she is, bring her to me.'

She turned again to the fireplace, and the two girls made their way
towards the other end of the room, where Barbara still stood unnoticed.
She saw them coming, and heaved a sigh of relief. Things were a long
while happening in this school; but it was something if they happened in
the end. She glanced at their two faces as they came nearer, and felt
disappointed when the one with the cross expression addressed her first.

'I say, what's your name?' began Jean, ungraciously.

'Barbara,' answered the child, faintly. Her dream seemed more improbable
than ever, in the presence of this small stranger with the aggressive
manner.

'Barbara what?' asked Jean, impatiently.

Babs stared, and added her surname unwillingly. At home, when people spoke
like that, they had to do without an answer.

'That's the one,' grumbled Jean to her companion. Then she addressed
Barbara again. 'How old are you?' she asked, in the same abrupt way.

'Eleven,' answered Babs, obediently. 'How old are you?'

It was Jean's turn to stare. 'What business is it of yours?' she
exclaimed. After a moment's consideration, however, she found a
satisfactory reason for replying. 'I'm a year older than you, anyhow,'
she added triumphantly, 'so you'll be the youngest in the school now, and
you can take off the head girl's boots.'

Before Barbara had time to realise this penalty, or privilege, belonging
to her youth, Angela Wilkins, who had been silent for quite a surprising
length of time, suddenly attacked her afresh. 'Are you really Jill's
cousin?' she asked, with a giggle.

Babs nodded; but Angela did not seem convinced. 'You're not a bit like
her, are you? Jill Urquhart is so pretty and graceful and all that,' she
observed with engaging frankness, and then giggled again.

Barbara said nothing; it was certainly unnecessary to agree with such
a very obvious statement. Jean Murray, who had also been examining her
closely in her turn, evidently seemed to think a further snubbing was
required of her.

'You're frightfully tall for your age,' she remarked disapprovingly, as
though Barbara were somehow to be held responsible for her height. 'If I
had straight spiky legs