"Imagine Percy being the Dragon's niece!" Then Gloria yawned. "I say, Philippa, have you any brothers or sisters?" Flip shook her head. "Neither have I. Mummy and Daddy didn't really want me, but I popped up. Accidents will happen, you know. They said they were really glad, and I'm not much trouble after all, always off at school and things. In a way I'm rather glad they didn't want me, because it relieves me of responsibility, doesn't it? I always have enough responsibility at school without getting involved in it at home." Erna and Jackie wandered over. "Hallo, what are you two talking about?" "Oh--you," Gloria said. Erna grinned. "What were you saying?" "Oh--just how lucky we were to get you two as roommates." Erna and Jackie looked pleased, while Flip stared at Gloria in amazement. "Are you ever called Phil, Philippa?" Erna asked suddenly. Flip shook her head. "At home I'm called Flip." Jackie laughed and Erna said, "Flip, huh? I never heard of anyone being called a name like Flip before." Gloria began to giggle. "I know what! We can call her Pill!" Jackie and Erna shouted with laughter. "Pill! Pill!" they cried with joy. Flip did not say anything. She knew that the thing to do was to laugh, too, but instead she was afraid she might burst into tears. "Let's play Ping Pong before the bell rings," Jackie suggested. "Coming, Pill?" Gloria cried. Flip shook her head. "No, thank you." She wandered over to one of the long windows and stepped out onto the balcony. The wind was cool and comforting to her hot cheeks. The sky was full of stars and she looked up at them and tried to feel their cold clear light on her upturned face. Across the lake the mountains of France loomed darkly, suddenly breaking into brightness as the starlight fell on their snowy tips. Flip tried to imagine what it would be like when the entire mountains and all the valley were covered with snow. From the room behind her she could hear all the various evening noises, the sound of the victrola playing popular records, the click, click, click of the Ping Pong ball Erna, Jackie, and Gloria were sending over the net, and the excited buzz of general conversation. Although the girls were supposed to speak French at all times, this final period of freedom was not supervised, and Flip heard snatches of various languages, and of the truly international language the girls had developed, a pot-pourri of all their tongues. "Ach," she heard someone saying, "I left mein ceinture dans le shower ce morgen. Quelle dope ich bin!" She sat down on the cold stone floor of the balcony and leaned her face against the black iron rail. The rail felt cold and rough to her cheek. She looked down to the path below where Miss Tulip in her white uniform was walking briskly between the plane trees. Flip sat very still, fearful lest the matron look up and see her.