XXII. THE LECTURE HALL IS DEDICATED 277 Illustrations Page "WHAT'S THIS? WHAT HAVE THEY SENT ME?" SHE GASPED _Frontispiece_ "DO YOU KNOW THIS WOOD'S PRIVATE PROPERTY?" HE SHOUTED 56 AVELYN, CROUCHED UNDER THE MANGER, COULD HEAR THE BULLYING TONE IN HIS VOICE 152 AN INTERVIEW WITH MISS THOMPSON 176 AVELYN AND THE LAVENDER LADY 224 WHO COULD SAY HOW MUCH MIGHT DEPEND ON THEIR SPEED? 272 FOR THE SCHOOL COLOURS CHAPTER I Enter Avelyn "It's the limit!" exploded Laura. "An atrocious shame!" agreed Janet. "Gives me nerve shock!" mourned Ethelberga gloomily. "You see," continued Laura, popping the tray of her box on to the floor and sitting down on her bed, so as the better to address her audience--"you see, it's been plumped upon us without any warning. Miss Thompson must have arranged it long ago, but she never let out so much as a teeny-weeny hint. If I'd known before I came back I'd have asked Father to give a term's notice and let me leave at Christmas. Crystal clear, I would." "Rather! so would this child." "I guess we all should." "I call it so mean to have sprung it on us like this! I really couldn't have believed it of Miss Thompson. She's gone down miles in my estimation. I can never feel the same towards her again--_never!_ Those Hawthorners! Oh, to think of it!" "What's the matter?" asked a fourth voice, as another girl, still in hat and coat, and carrying her travelling-bag, entered the dormitory. "Irma! Is it you, old sport? D'you mean to say you haven't heard the news yet?" "Only just this minute arrived, and I've flown straight upstairs. I met Hopscotch in the hall, and asked, 'Am I still in the Cowslip Room?' and she nodded 'Yes,' so I didn't wait for any more. Has anything grizzly happened? You're all looking very glum!" "We may well look glum," said Laura tragically. "Something particularly grizzly's happened. You remember that day school at the other side of the town?" "The Hawthorns--yes." "Well, it's been given up." Irma flung her hat on to her bed and her coat after it. "That doesn't concern us," she remarked contemptuously. "Doesn't it? Oh, no, of course--not in the least!" Laura's voice was sarcastic. "It wouldn't have been any concern of ours--only, as it happens, they've all come on here." Irma turned round, the very picture of dismay. "_What?_ Not _here_, surely! Great Minerva, you don't mean it! Hold me up! I feel rocky." Laura looked at her, and shook her head in commiseration.