And she found little time for play in this new and ordered existence. The rising bell, the quick shower, adopted after observing Anne’s habits for a week; prayers, breakfasts--they always left her hungry for they were daintier but not half so satisfying as breakfasts at Los Ranchos--and then classes and study periods in quick succession. Raquel worked hard and stood well in her studies at the end of the first half term, in spite of the fact that she could hardly understand the marked English accent of one of her teachers. She probably could not have understood her at all, had it not been for her experience with Jimmy Hovey’s crisp Boston elegance of diction. She began to feel less constraint with the girls too. But she and Lois Wainwright had never spoken to each other since that first evening. Lois, whose serene face betrayed nothing of what might be passing within her head, gave no sign of any secret compunctions. Once she stopped in the hall beside Raquel, however, as if to speak to her. But Raquel remained quietly studying the bulletin board, and after a moment Lois shrugged her shoulders and went on. Raquel knew that Lois was standing there, but she was afraid of another snub and had made up her mind not to put herself in the way of it. Raquel did not know how to forgive gracefully. In her country it was etiquette _not_ to forgive an insult. She had been brought up on tales of men’s vengeance, of killings for insults--Dad had always said a man could steal him blind, but insult him--never! Once when a group of girls from The Towers were riding, Raquel and Marian, a plump, highly manicured girl of sixteen who was always in Lois’ wake, with several of the younger girls galloped ahead of the party. Raquel, who was well in the lead, became separated from the others as she mistook the road, turning off in another direction. When finally she overtook her party, pulling up after a furious gallop, she was escorted by two nice-looking boys who reined in their mounts beside the girls. Marian recognized the boys as coming from a preparatory school about two miles from The Towers. Smiling her prettiest and edging her horse closer to Raquel’s, she waited for an introduction to the attractive strangers. Raquel, untrained in such amenities and coquetries, was chatting easily and brightly with her appreciative companions. “Thank you so much for settin’ me on my way. I sure was lost. That was a nice race we had, and I’ll be glad to beat you again any other day. These are my friends from The Towers.” She waved a comprehensive hand at the other girls. “But don’t let us make you any later.” Marian was glaring at her, the other girls noticing her curiously, as if for the first time. How attractive Raquel was in her riding clothes! Why, she looked stunning! As the boys lifted their caps with a flourish and cantered away, Marian turned on Raquel. “Well, what was the object in not introducing those boys?”