"About half. It hasn't to be sent off till next week, so there's plenty of time."
At that moment Ruth Allen linked her arm in Maysie's.
"I'm in my third row," she began casually.
"What, already?" asked Maysie.
"Yes, haven't you heard?" Molly chimed in.
"Oh, it's Miss Elton again!" went on Ruth. "We never can hit it off. You weren't at botany class this morning."
"No, what happened?"
Ruth shrugged her shoulders. Molly looked expressively at Maysie. Ruth seldom got through a botany class without an explosion.
"I hate botany," said Ruth recklessly, "and I hate Miss Elton. I'm supposed to be in silence now, but as Miss Bennet came in and told us all to go out, I thought I'd better not risk another disobedience mark."
Miss Elton, who had been stooping down over some flower-beds, in search of museum treasures, came up at this point. Her face was grave and white, and her manner very stern and quiet.