e que je ne
shallai pas le getter. Je begge que vous excusez moi parce que
je ne canne pas thinker de rien encore a sayer.

"Votre aimant fille,
"CONNIE."

This, however, was the worst of the set, some of the others having
managed to express themselves quite nicely. Rather to everybody's
astonishment Hazel Prestbury won the prize. She was not industrious
enough to gain the highest marks in class, but on this occasion she
had set her best energies to work, and her letter, both as regards
composition and grammar, was far in advance of all competitors. She
felt a thrill of triumph as Mademoiselle presented her with a charming
Parisian basket full of choice chocolates, accompanied by a speech in
French, which nobody understood in the least. She handed it round
amongst the girls with a sense that she had at last somewhat regained
her lost standing, and when the basket was empty had the satisfaction
of overhearing Marian remark that she was generous with her sweets,
and Gwennie wish that she knew French only half as well.

Nina Forster returned to class after a week's absence, looking pale
and thin, and with a white knitted shawl wrapped ostentatiously round
her shoulders. She was a girl who thoroughly enjoyed being delicate,
and liked the importance of having a fuss made over her. There was
always a large bottle of tonic on the sideboard, which Nina gloried in
being obliged to swallow, and she was rather pleased than otherwise if
Miss Kaye decided that it was too damp a day for her to venture out.

"I can't stand much, you know," she would explain complacently to the
others in languid tones. "Every winter I have been laid up, with the
doctor listening at my bronchial tube and taking my temperature night
and morning. It makes Mother most unhappy, and I'm sure Miss Kaye's
quite worried about me too."

As most of the girls did not know the exact meaning of either a
bronchial tube or a temperature, they were a good deal impressed, and
allowed Nina to take the warmest seat and the biggest piece of toffee
"for the sake of her throat", a state of affairs which was just what
she wanted, and of which she did not fail to take advantage to the
uttermost.

With the colder weather eider-down quilts had made their appearance in
the bedrooms, and now supplied the places of the pretty pink coverlets
which were only used in summer. It felt very warm and comfortable to
snuggle down under them at night, when