The three girls heaved a vast sigh of relief when Miss Drummond, after a tour of inspection into the kitchen and scullery, departed, expressing satisfaction both with the dinner and with the general neatness and order of the establishment. Mademoiselle had excused herself the moment coffee was finished. She had been very silent after the episode of the soup, perhaps her thoughts were in Provence, or perhaps she considered it a hardship that her duties should include being obliged to endure such amateur cookery. "Hurrah! The worst part of the day is over," said Mabel. "I felt I couldn't breathe freely until dinner was done with, and Miss Drummond out of the house!" "I'm quite exhausted with all our efforts," declared Dora, sinking into a basket-chair and tucking a cushion behind her head. "Your efforts were successful," said Aldred ruefully. "I don't think Mademoiselle will ever forget my wretched _bouillon maigre_. I'm afraid she won't accept an invitation to dine at the cottage again." "Well, she won't have us for cooks in any case, for we shan't get another day here now until next term. I wish our turns could come oftener!" "Yes, we could do with a whole row of cottages." "I'm afraid Miss Drummond won't build them." "No, I suppose they cost too much." The girls felt they had earned a rest after their labours, so they sat chatting for a while in the sitting-room before they began to clear away the remains of the feast. "The others are looking forward tremendously to coming to tea," said Mabel. "It was nice of Miss Drummond to let us ask the whole Form." "Well, we were allowed three visitors, and it would have been so hard to choose which. The two who were left out would have been so offended; and it really would have been hard on them, when they thought of the fun the rest were having." "Look here!" cried Dora, starting up, "do you know it's a quarter-past two? If we're expecting five girls to tea at half-past four, we shall have to bestir ourselves and make some cakes." "And there's the jam! We mustn't forget our precious blackberries," added Aldred. [Illustration: "WITH A SHRIEK SHE DREW SWIFTLY BACK"] An unpleasant surprise awaited them in the kitchen. They had forgotten the very existence of the stove while they were talking, and the fire was out. Until it was rekindled there did not seem much prospect of either cakes or jam. Dora and Aldred hastened to the rescue, while Mabel cleared the table, swept up crumbs, and generally tidied the sitting-room. "We must manage to make it burn up quickly, or we shan't have the oven hot in time," said Aldred; and going into the scullery, she fetched the paraffin can, and poured a liberal amount over the pyramid of sticks and coal in the grate. "Miss Reade said we were never to use paraffin!" objected Dora.