"Have you been to school before?"
"Do you know anyone here?"
"Why did you come to St. Chad's?"
The questions were fired off all together from seven pairs of lips.
"One at a time, please!" returned Honor. "I'm older than I look, and younger than I seem. You mayn't believe me, yet I assure you I've only had three birthdays."
"Rubbish!" said Chatty Burns.
"It's a fact, all the same."
"But how could that be?" demanded Pauline Reynolds incredulously.
"Because I was born on the twenty-ninth of February, and I can't have a birthday except in a leap year. That accounts for anything odd there is about me; so if you find me queer, you must just say: 'She's a twenty-ninth of February girl', and make excuses for me. As for the other questions, I've never been to school before; I've seen Miss Cavendish, but I haven't heard yet what class I'm to be in; five minutes ago I didn't know anybody here, but now I know—how many are there of you?—one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine!"
"Have you unpacked yet?" asked Maisie, returning to her box, which Lettice had been steadily emptying.