Produced by Suzanne Shell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: GLORIOUS NEWS!] The Manor House School BY ANGELA BRAZIL Author of "The Nicest Girl in the School" "The Third Class at Miss Kaye's" "The Fortunes of Philippa" &c. _ILLUSTRATED BY A. A. DIXON_ BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED LONDON GLASGOW AND BOMBAY Contents CHAP. Page I. NORA'S NEWS 9 II. AN INTERESTING STRANGER 22 III. A STRONG SUSPICION 36 IV. HAVERSLEIGH 50 V. AN UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENT 67 VI. MONICA 80 VII. LINDSAY'S LUCK 94 VIII. PENDLE TOR 111 IX. THE PLOT THICKENS 127 X. UNDER THE HAWTHORN TREE 143 XI. SIR MERVYN'S TOWER 161 XII. AN ENIGMA 178 XIII. LINDSAY MAKES A RESOLVE 189 XIV. THE LANTERN ROOM 202 XV. HIDE-AND-SEEK 215 XVI. A SURPRISE 229 XVII. GOOD-BYE TO THE MANOR 243 Illustrations Page GLORIOUS NEWS! _Frontispiece_ 239 "SHE OPENED THE DOOR CAUTIOUSLY" 35 "I KNOW WHAT MONICA WAS GOING TO SAY" 93 AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT 139 THE SECRET DOOR 202 CHAPTER I Nora's News It was the first week of the summer term at Winterburn Lodge. Afternoon preparation was over, and most of the girls had left the classroom for a chat and a stroll round the playground until the tea-bell should ring. From the tennis court came the sounds of the soft thud of balls and a few excited voices recording the score; while through the open windows of the house floated the strains of three pianos, on which three separate pieces were being practised in three different keys, the mingled result forming a particularly inharmonious jangle.