It was really a grievance to the girls to be obliged to abandon tennis on this occasion. The match between Sixth and Fifth had been a fixture, and each side had hopes of its own champions. Daphne and Barbara were good players, but Valentine and Muriel had been practising early and late, and in the estimation of their own Form were well in the running for victory. Even the juniors had looked forward to witnessing the combat. Valentine, in her disappointment, went so far as to suggest to Miss Gibbs that the match might claim precedence over the excursion. The astonished mistress gazed at her for a moment with blank face, then burst out: "Give up the fossil hunt in favour of tennis! What nonsense! You ought all to be deeply grateful to Professor Marshall for coming to take us. You girls don't appreciate your privileges!" "There's one compensation," urged Fauvette. "We shall walk through the village, and, if we break line a little, it will give a chance for somebody to dash into the shop and buy pear-drops. One had better do it for us all, and get a pound. We'll pay up our shares, honest." On the afternoon of Saturday, twenty-six rather apathetic geologists started forth from the Grange. Each carried a basket, and a few, who had scrambled first, had secured hammers. Miss Gibbs, armed with "An Illustrated Catalogue of the Fossils in the Bradbury Museum," by means of which she hoped to identify specimens, brought up the rear, in company with Veronica, and the school crocodiled in orthodox fashion as far as the village. Here they were met by the Vicar's wife and daughter, and several other ladies who were to join the excursion. The double line swayed and broke. Miss Gibbs's attention became engaged by visitors, and, during the few minutes' halt, Raymonde, well covered by her comrades, seized the golden opportunity, darted into the shop, and emerged with a large packet hidden in her basket, before mistress or monitresses had had time to miss her. "Paradise drops!" she announced with gleeful caution. "Got them because they were on the counter, and the quickest thing I could buy. No, I daren't dole them out now. You must wait till we get to the quarry. Gibbie'd notice you sucking them, you idiots!" It was rather a long way to Littlewood. Much too far, in the girls' opinion, though they would have thought nothing of the walk had they been keener on its object. "Shouldn't have minded so much if we'd come on a Thursday, and missed French translation. Why had it to be Saturday?" groused Ardiune. "Because Saturday's the only day the men aren't working in the quarry. For goodness' sake, stop grumbling!" returned Hermie in her most monitressy manner. "If you can't enjoy things yourself, let other people have a chance, at any rate!"