Author of "The Youngest Girl in the Fifth" "A Pair of Schoolgirls" "The New Girl at St. Chad's" "A Fourth Form Friendship" &c. _ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN CAMPBELL_ BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED LONDON GLASGOW AND BOMBAY Contents CHAP. Page I. GIPSY ARRIVES 9 II. THE _QUEEN OF THE WAVES_ 21 III. GIPSY MAKES A BEGINNING 31 IV. A MASS MEETING 44 V. A PITCHED BATTLE 55 VI. AMERICAN FUDGE 68 VII. GIPSY TAKES HER FLING 80 VIII. DAISY FORGETS 96 IX. GIPSY GROWS ANXIOUS 108 X. THE MILLIONAIRESS 122 XI. GIPSY TURNS CHAMPION 137 XII. A SPARTAN MAIDEN 150 XIII. A LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION 162 XIV. MOUNTAINEERING 173 XV. A SCHOOL MYSTERY 187 XVI. A FRIEND IN NEED 204 XVII. A TANGLED STORY 215 XVIII. GIPSY AT LARGE 226 XIX. THE UNITED GUILD FESTIVAL 241 Illustrations Page A SUCCESSFUL CLIMB _Frontispiece_ 177 THE LOWER SCHOOL FIND A LEADER 50 "GIPSY GENERALLY RESPONDED WITH SPIRIT" 118 AN INTERVIEW WITH MISS POPPLETON 188 "HE PAUSED AND PEERED AT GIPSY" 230 THE LEADER OF THE LOWER SCHOOL CHAPTER I Gipsy Arrives ONE dank, wet, clammy afternoon at the beginning of October half a dozen of the boarders at Briarcroft Hall stood at the Juniors' sitting-room window, watching the umbrellas of the day girls disappear through the side gate. It had been drizzling since dinner-time, and the prospect outside was not a remarkably exhilarating one. The yellow leaves of the oak tree dripped slow tears on to the flagged walk, as if weeping beforehand for their own speedy demise; the little classical statue on the fountain looked a decidedly watery goddess, the sodden flowers had trailed their heads in the soil, and a small rivulet was running down the steps of the summer house. As the last two umbrellas, after a brief and exciting struggle for precedence, passed through the portal and the gate was shut with a slam, Lennie Chapman turned to her companions and heaved a tragic sigh.