"We met in the train," Joey explained. She hesitated for a second. "I shall _like_ being in their dorm." CHAPTER V LIVELINESS IN BLUE DORM Tea was over--a tea which seemed a babel to Joey's unaccustomed ears, although Cousin Greta would probably have laughed at the term "unaccustomed," considering the noise that the five Grahams could make among themselves. But Cousin Greta would never have guessed what a great school could do at the first meal, with discipline relaxed and everybody trying to tell special friends how they had spent the holidays. Joey sat under the wing of a very young mistress, who wore a great bunch of violets in her belt, and was addressed as "Miss Lambton." She saw to it that Joey had plenty of bread and jam and cake, and addressed two or three good-natured questions to her; but it wasn't in the nature of things that the new girl shouldn't feel rather out of it, when all near neighbours wanted to tell Miss Lambton where they had been and what they had done, and she had to interrupt her adorers in order to speak to Joey. Gabrielle had been swamped directly they came into the huge refectory by two vehement people, with a tiny silver shield fastened to their djibbahs, who assured her vociferously that she had promised to sit between them for the first tea last term. However, she remembered the new girl directly tea was over, and made her way to Joey's side, when the girls rose from table. "Will you come to your dorm now?" "I've got to go and say something to the Professor in Lab," Joey said doubtfully, not being at all sure that when she reached Blue Dorm she wouldn't be expected to stay there interviewing Matron, or something of that kind. "Oh, come on, Gabrielle, if the new kid doesn't _want_ to be shown her dormitory, don't fag over her," urged two or three impatient voices; but Gabrielle stood her ground. "I quite forgot. Ingrid Latimer--she's Senior Prefect--of course, you don't know her yet--sent me a message for you. She said the Lab was all right, and she had seen Monsieur Trouville. I don't know what it means, but perhaps you do." "Yes, I know," Joey answered shortly. It had been kind of the Senior Prefect to face the furious Professor for her, and Gabrielle seemed kind and friendly, too; but you couldn't tell about these girls. They despised her because of Calgarloch school, and she never knew when they would have set her on about something else. She didn't feel inclined to be effusive. Gabrielle shook off her admirers and conducted Joey up many stairs and along many passages in silence. Only when she had opened the door of a large, light, airy room, with blue-washed walls and blue quilts to the four beds and blue curtains to the windows, did she find her voice again. "This is Blue Dorm, Jocelyn. I'm sure you'll like it. Isn't it a topping view? Look how well you can see the Fossdyke Wash--and that's the Walpole Fen, all down on the right--it's reclaimed, you know--and do you see that tower?"