E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 25003-h.htm or 25003-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/0/0/25003/25003-h/25003-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/5/0/0/25003/25003-h.zip) THE NICEST GIRL IN THE SCHOOL A Story of School Life by ANGELA BRAZIL Author of "The Third Class at Miss Kaye's" "The Fortunes of Philippa" Illustrated by Arthur A. Dixon [Illustration: "SHE STARTED GUILTILY AT HER COUSIN'S ENTRANCE"] Blackie and Son Limited London Glasgow and Bombay Contents _CHAP._ Page I. PACKING 9 II. THE PRIORY 20 III. FIRST IMPRESSIONS 36 IV. A MAIDEN ALL FORLORN 50 V. THE ARITHMETIC EXAMINATION 69 VI. ALBUMS 88 VII. PATTY'S PLEDGE 106 VIII. A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT 125 IX. AN AFTERNOON WITH JEAN 145 X. THE CAESAR TRANSLATION 159 XI. THE SUMMER TERM 176 XII. PLAYING WITH FIRE 198 XIII. THE SCHOOL PICNIC 212 XIV. ON THE ROCKS 225 XV. SPEECH DAY 243 Illustrations Page "SHE STARTED GUILTILY AT HER COUSIN'S ENTRANCE" _Frontis._ 166 "EVERYBODY SEEMED TO BE FRIENDS AND TO BE OCCUPIED WITH SOME GAME OR AMUSEMENT EXCEPT HERSELF" 56 "YOU'LL ALL THREE HAVE TO PROMISE NEVER TO LIGHT THE GAS AGAIN AFTER MISS ROWE'S TURNED IT OUT" 122 "GIRLS," SHE CRIED, "SURELY YOU CAN'T SUSPECT ME OF OWNING THAT WRETCHED 'CRIB'?" 173 "THEY WERE CUT OFF ON EVERY SIDE" 232 CHAPTER I Packing "Only one day more," cried Patty Hirst, surveying with deep interest the large new box which stood by the side of the chest of drawers in her bedroom; "just one day! How dreadfully quickly the time has come! I feel quite queer when I think about it. I can scarcely believe that before the end of the week both I and my luggage will be a whole hundred miles away, and settled at Morton Priory. I do wonder how I shall like it?"