"Of course Ingred was the heroine of the hour. As she was being escorted to the pavilion, flushed but triumphant, Miss Giles said to her: 'Well played! I am proud of you!' "Those few words of praise meant a good deal to Ingred, and we all felt how well she deserved them, especially as it was only by accident that she played in the team at all. "I do hope I have not tired you by going too fully into our match, but I know you are interested in our school games, hockey in particular. I will tell you about our later fixtures when I see you at Christmas, so until then--Good-bye. "With love from your affectionate cousin, "Nora Clifford." CHAPTER VIII An Unpleasant Experience The girls filed out from the hockey ground as speedily as possible. There was a train due from Grovebury in about a quarter of an hour. They walked to the station in groups, discussing details of the match as they went. Ingred, Beatrice, and Verity happened to be blocked at the exit by the Clintonian team, and were obliged to wait some minutes before they could pass, and when at last they were through the gate, all their own schoolfellows were disappearing up the road. "We needn't run after them--I believe we've plenty of time," said Verity. "We can almost see the station from here. I say, aren't you fearfully hungry? I'm literally starving. Let's find a confectioner's and each buy a bun before we go." Both Beatrice and Ingred felt that they required fortifying before they started for home, so they dived into the nearest pastry-cook's and demanded buns. They were eating them rather hastily, when Linda Slater entered the shop in company with a gentleman, evidently her father. She hailed her class-mates, and at once began to talk over the match and rejoice at the school victory. "Who says we're no good at games now? This has sent up our credit ten per cent! I'm proud of the Coll.!" "Blossom was A1," exulted Verity. "And Janie was simply ripping. Dad thought no end of her. Didn't you, Dad?" "Well, I'm glad we made something of a record," admitted Ingred. "I say," declared Beatrice, hastily finishing her bun, "if that clock's right, we must bolt for our train." "As a matter of fact, it's one minute slow," exclaimed Linda, consulting her watch. "You'll have to sprint." "Aren't _you_ coming?" "No, we have our car here. It's outside." "Those girls will hardly catch their train," remarked Mr. Slater to Linda, as the three went to the pay desk to settle for their buns. "Couldn't we stow them into the car, and take them along with us?" "Oh, no, Dad!" frowned Linda. "There really isn't room. You promised you'd call at Brantbury and bring Gerald and Eustace back for the afternoon. We couldn't cram them all in the car!" "There isn't time for them to get the train." "Oh, yes! You don't know how they can run!"