in
the matter of dressing-rooms, hair-drying apparatus, and plentiful hot
towels. Gwen had never been inside before, so she gazed with delighted
admiration, at the ladies' large bath, with its pale-green tiles, its
flights of steps, and its diving board at the deep end. There was a
cord across the middle, with a big notice that non-swimmers were to
venture no farther, and must confine themselves to the shallow end;
also that water wings could be hired.

"I hear Miss Morris won't let her pupils use those, though," said
Netta. "She calls it an amateurish dodge. I should think we shall have
to hold each other up while we practise our strokes!"

Gwen secured a bathing costume that fitted quite tolerably. She had no
mackintosh cap, but she plaited her hair very tightly instead. She did
not much care whether it got wet or not. It was most exciting to run
down the steps and slip into the lovely clear green water. She had
undressed with such record speed that she was actually the first, but
she was very soon joined by a bevy of laughing, squealing maidens. It
was an amusing, but not a picturesque sight. The Fifth Form attired in
bathing costumes were about as different from the academy pictures of
classical nymphs as a man in the street from a statue of Apollo.
Instead of floating about in graceful attitudes, with the "amber
dropping hair" of Milton's Sabrina, they "larked" like a school of
porpoises, splashing each other and playing tricks. There was no
attempt at a lesson that afternoon. The girls just enjoyed themselves
in their own way, with many cautions from Miss Douglas not to trespass
beyond the danger line. Gwen, held up by Netta, made frantic efforts
to try her strokes, though her attempts invariably ended in a plunge
from which she came up spluttering. Netta, with a very little help
from Gwen, got on much better, for she had been to the baths before,
and had had some practice. Several of the girls were already good
swimmers, and after showing their prowess, were allowed to disport
themselves at the deep end.

"I shan't be content till I can dive," declared Gwen, watching
enviously as Elspeth Frazer took a header. "I shouldn't think it's
difficult when you get the knack. It will be just having the pluck to
try. I can float the least little scrap already, so I've learnt
something this afternoon, and so have you."

"We shall both get on grandly at the lessons," assented Netta.

The whole Form agreed unanimously t