At this crisis, the clamour of the gong for tea fortunately put an end to an extremely embarrassing situation. The four room-mates fled, leaving their new companion to follow them to the dining-room as best she could. When she entered, they were already seated at table, and did not look in her direction. She took a seat next to a complete stranger, who indeed handed her the bread and butter, but vouchsafed no single word of conversation.
When the meal was over, the original inmates of the Cowslip Room retired to a secluded portion of the garden, and held an indignation meeting. For the first frenzied five minutes they allowed their wrath full swing, and vibrated between a dormitory strike and writing to their parents to beg for instant removal from the school. Then reason reasserted itself, and decided the impracticability of both methods. Previous experience had shown them that their head mistress was a tough dragon to tackle, and scarcely likely to be coerced by even the best organized dormitory strike, while in her heart of hearts each knew that, after paying her term's fees in advance, her father would need some very solid cause of complaint to justify so extreme a measure as a return to the bosom of the family. They began to discuss the matter more sanely.
"The fact is, she's here, and I suppose we can't get rid of her," admitted Irma.
"After all, she's a boarder!" ventured Ethelberga.
"Only a weekly one," qualified Janet.
"And a Hawthorner!" added Laura.
"She said she hadn't been to school since last Christmas," commented Ethelberga.
"Why, so she did! Then she's had a sort of a break from The Hawthorns, and in a way she's making a fresh start here."
"I suppose so."
"If she'd be loyal to Silverside, though we could never like her, we might bring ourselves to tolerate her."