"He has only the one afternoon to spare," replied Marjorie, "and has promised to take just Dona and me out to tea at a cafe, though I don't mind betting Elaine goes too. I wish I could bring him to school and introduce him. The Empress is fearfully mean about asking brothers. Brackenfield might be a convent." Chrissie also seemed tremendously interested in Leonard's arrival. She walked round the quad with Marjorie. "How glorious to have a brother home from the front!" she said wistfully. "If he were mine, I'd nearly worship him. There'd be such heaps of things I'd want to ask him, too. I'd like to hear all about a tank." "You've seen them on the cinema." "But only the outside, of course. I want to know exactly how they work. Don't laugh. Why shouldn't I? Surely every patriotic girl ought to be keen on everything in connection with the war. I wish you'd ask him." "Why, I will if you like." "You won't forget?" "I'll try not." "And there's a new shell we've just been making. I wonder how it answers. I heard we've some new guns too. Would your brother know?" "Really, I shall never remember all this! Pity you can't come with us and ask him for yourself." "I believe I could get an exeat----" began Chrissie eagerly. "I'm sure you couldn't!" snapped Marjorie. "Dona and I are going just by ourselves." The sisters spent a somewhat disturbed morning. It was difficult to concentrate their minds on lessons when such a delightful outing awaited them in the afternoon. Immediately after dinner they rushed to their dormitories to don their best dresses in honour of Leonard. They knew he would not care to take out two Cinderellas, so they made careful toilets. Marjorie, in front of her looking-glass, replaited her hair, and tied it with her broadest ribbon, chattering all the while to Chrissie, who sat on the bed in her own cubicle. "Leonard's an old dandy. At least, he was a year ago--the war may have changed him. He used to be most fearfully particular, and notice what girls had on. I remember how savage he was with Nora once for going to church in her old hat, and it was such a wet day, too; she didn't want to spoil her new one. He always kept his trousers in stretchers, and his boots had to be polished ever so--Chrissie, you're not listening. Actually opening letters! You mean to say you've not read them yet, and you got them this morning!" "I hadn't time," said Chrissie, rather abstractedly. She was drawing pound notes out of the envelope. "Sophonisba! What a lot of money!" exclaimed Marjorie. "It isn't your birthday?" "No. This is to take me home, of course." "It won't cost you all that, surely! Doesn't your mother send your railway fare to Mrs. Morrison? Mine always does." "My mother wouldn't like me to be short of money on the journey," remarked Chrissie serenely, locking up the notes in her little jewel-box.