"I wonder how many new girls there will be at the Hall," Dorothy glanced curiously about the partially filled dining-room. "Let me see. We had four graduates from Madison. Edith isn't coming back. That makes five vacancies to be filled. Do you know of any others?" The approach of a maid with a heavily laden breakfast tray, left the question unanswered for the moment. "You forget, _la petite_," reminded Adrienne as she liberally sugared her sliced peaches. "She will no longer live at the top of the house. She has already made the arrangements to room with Mary Ashton. So there are but four vacancies. I would greatly adore to be with my Norma, but Ethel is the good little roommate. I am satisfied." Adrienne dismissed the subject with a wave of her hand. "Norma can have Edith's place at our table," suggested Dorothy. "That will be nice. I'll speak to Mrs. Weatherbee about it right after breakfast." "Perhaps we should not wait until then." Adrienne half rose from her chair. Noting that the matron's place at another table was vacant she sat down again. "Here she comes now!" Jane followed her announcement with a muffled "Oh!" Mrs. Weatherbee was advancing toward their table and not alone. Behind her walked the aggressive Miss Noble. "Miss Noble, this is Miss Martin." The matron placidly proceeded with the introductions and rustled off, unconscious that she had precipitated a difficult situation. Her mind occupied with other matters, she had failed to note the stiff little bows exchanged by three of the quartette. It had not been lost upon Dorothy, however. Greeting the newcomer in her usual gracious fashion, she wondered what ailed Jane and Adrienne. "Have you examinations to try, Miss Noble?" she asked pleasantly, by way of shattering the frigid silence that had settled down on three of the group. "No, indeed." The girl tossed her black head. "_I_ am from Burleigh." "Oh! A prep school, I suppose?" Dorothy inquired politely. The name was unfamiliar to her. "One of the most exclusive in the Middle West," was the prompt answer, given with a touch of arrogance. "I must say, Wellington doesn't compare very favorably with it in _my_ opinion." A faint sparkle of resentment lit the wide gray eyes Dorothy turned squarely on the freshman. "That's rather hard on Wellington," she said evenly. "I hope you will change your mind after you've been with us a while." "I hardly expect that I shall, judging from what I've already seen of it. That is, if Madison Hall furnishes a sample of the rest of the college." Turning petulantly to the maid who had come up to attend to her wants she ordered sharply: "Bring me my breakfast at once. I am in a hurry." A dead silence ensued as the maid walked away. Signally vexed at the stranger's disparaging remarks, Dorothy had no inclination to court a fresh volley. Jane and Adrienne were equally attacked by dumbness. They were devoting themselves to breakfast as if in a hurry to be through with it.