They went, and at the edge of the campus were met by a group of Nan's friends and loyal adherents. By these they were borne triumphantly to the courts.
Kate was there before them, engaged in animated conversation with a group of her followers.
She frowned as she saw Nan, though Nan nodded and smiled with the friendliness of one sportsman to another. For the moment Kate was not Kate to Nan—an enemy whom it would be a joy to defeat. She was for the time only a worthy antagonist against whose undoubted ability she was testing her own.
The school had turned out for the occasion. The court was surrounded by girls eager to see the fray. Some of them were standing, but for the most part they were seated crosslegged on the ground, hugging their knees and gleefully discussing the possibilities of the coming match.
The two girls most concerned approached the contest in characteristically opposite manner.
Nan came on the court smiling, the racket in her left hand, her right extended to clasp Kate's across the net.
Kate, on the contrary, made no motion to meet Nan half-way. She scowled and ignored the outstretched hand of her antagonist.
Nan flushed and quickly lowered her hand.
There was an angry buzz about the courts, and one or two of Nan's supporters cried out:
"For shame! Do you call that sportsmanship?"