"What? No prefects or monitresses? How in the world did you manage, then?"
"We didn't find them necessary," maintained Adah stiffly.
Gladys Wilks whistled, and looked eloquently at her friend.
"Of course it was a very small school," she remarked, "so I dare say you somehow muddled on; but now—surely there'll have to be something of the sort instituted?"
"Those juniors will give trouble if there's no one to tackle them," added Annie. "Just look at them over there!"
The juveniles in question were certainly behaving with a lack of decorum entirely foreign to the former atmosphere of Silverside. They were, in fact, engaged in jumping over Miss Thompson's most cherished flower beds, with disastrous consequences to the pet geraniums and calceolarias.
"The little hooligans!" exclaimed Adah, rushing to the rescue of the unfortunate flowers. "Here, get away, you kiddies! this sort of performance isn't allowed. Stop, this minute!"
The five long-legged children who were making a display of their jumping agility called a temporary halt, and stared aggressively at Adah.
"Who says it's not allowed?" enquired a pert ten-year-old, who was evidently the ringleader.
"I do."