"I'm—I'm awfully sorry," Louie said awkwardly and a little stiffly.
At the tone Richenda drew in instantly.
"It doesn't matter," she said, compressing her lips and beginning to straighten her hair. "I shall just have to buck up, that's all. But girls of your class don't know anything about it, so you needn't think you do. There's the first gong. Come on."
As they passed the dairies a rabble of students raced past the end of the house on their way to the boot-lockers. Louie and Richenda entered by the side door. Richenda plunged at once into the scramble for house-slippers, but Louie, not having put on her garden boots that day, did not need to change. It was too late now to put on another dress. She waited by the inner door.
Suddenly she was spied by Burnett Minor. The child rushed towards her, a book in her hand.
"Are you going, Causton?" she shouted.
There was a loud "Ssssh!" They could be heard from the dining-room. The girls flocked round Louie, and hoarse, excited whispers broke out:
"Are you going?"
"She's dressed!"
"Are you going?"