"Er-thanks," she replied dryly. "Yes, it is my handkerchief and not the other article you mentioned. I must have dropped it."
She departed with Deirdre, chuckling. "Cheeky little thing, that new girl," she confided to Deirdre, "in spite of her childish look. I wish our pattern Fifth joy of her."
Deirdre pinned upon the notice-board a list of the schools who had entered for the shield, and Nat, with Monica, stopped behind to read the list.
"That's the school at present holding the shield," remarked Nat, pointing to one of the names. "They have won it two years in succession and are entitled to keep it if they win it this year. I believe they are awfully hot stuff."
"Fairhurst Priory," Monica read aloud. "Why, that's the school I was at last term."
"Really!" said Nat, "the school you were ex—Of course, you didn't see them play hockey," she hurriedly altered her sentence. "It was the summer term. Oh dear, I suppose there is prep to be done. I think I'll trot round first and see Ida about the book she's going to lend me."
"Please, not now," said Monica. "I want you to hear me say my Dick II first. I can always learn by heart better when I've someone to hear me say it."
"Bother you and your wretched lessons," grumbled Nat, but nevertheless she followed Monica into their study.
Since Monica's resolution to win the top position she had given little trouble in class and had proved to be the most zealous of pupils during the last fortnight. Miss Andrews, indeed, would have forgiven her a good deal for the sake of her prowess at Latin. Some of the girls wondered how long this enthusiasm for work would last, and if the new girl were really as clever as she intended them to believe—apart from her knowledge of Latin, in which she had evidently been well grounded. Glenda Vaughan shook her head darkly and said: "Wait and see."
Monica had not, however, kept an entirely unblemished conduct sheet, having fallen from grace and scandalized the entire school the previous Sunday. It happened in this way. Personal possessions were not allowed to be left about in the common room and passages under pain of confiscation, and it was one of Madge's prefectorial duties to confiscate any property she found left about in these public places after supper bell had rung. The careless owners, after a preliminary warning, were punished by the exaction of a penny fine from their pocket money, the fines being collected by Madge and placed in the offertory bag at Sunday service.