y prepared to haunt her. It was worse than
ever, for she had lost her own fifteen shillings as well as the ten
which Netta had previously lent her. Between Parker's and Netta she
now owed thirty-two and sixpence. The largeness of the debt appalled
her. How was she ever to refund it? She hoped she might get a little
money at Christmas. Her grandmother and Aunt Violet generally sent
postal orders for presents, telling the girls to buy what they liked;
it was these welcome gifts that constituted most of her contributions
to her savings box.

The hint which Parker's had given about sending the account to her
father frightened her greatly. Father must not know. He would have
quite enough Christmas bills to pay without adding an extra one.
Besides, what would he think of her? Gwen liked to stand high in her
father's estimation. Beatrice, too, would hear of it, and would not
spare her.

"I'm always the black sheep of the family," thought Gwen. "None of
them have ever done anything so dreadful as this. No! I simply
shouldn't dare to tell at home."

Netta turned up next morning with the half-sovereign, according to her
promise. She was not an ungenerous girl, and she had plenty of pocket
money, for her father was well off, and liberal to his only daughter.
She was willing to help Gwen out of a difficulty for which she knew
she herself was partly responsible, and perhaps also she rather
appreciated the sense of power that the debt gave her over her
schoolfellow. Netta dearly loved to lead: she would have liked to be
of importance in the Form, and was often annoyed that Hilda Browne,
Iris Watson, and some of the others looked down upon her. It was
pleasant therefore to feel that she had one satellite who was bound to
revolve in her orbit, and could be reckoned upon to support her on all
occasions.

Gwen had decided to commit a breach of school rules, and to rush out
between dinner and afternoon school to pay her visit to the china
shop. As she had said, it was a risky performance. If she were caught,
she would be reported to Miss Roscoe, and the penalty would be severe.
It seemed sailing 'twixt Scylla and Charybdis, but it was worth
trying. The first difficulty was how to put on her outdoor things
without anybody noticing. Girls kept strolling in and out of the
dressing-room in the most tiresome manner and after waiting as long as
she dared for the room to be empty, she was finally obliged to smuggle
her hat and coat into th