"I really never thought about it," she explained to Patty afterwards; "at least I suppose I did think, but I knew all the others were looking up what they had forgotten, so I supposed it didn't matter." "Enid never looks," said Patty, gravely. "Well, I won't do it again; I won't indeed." "I was wondering," said Patty, "if we couldn't get up a little society, and ask the members to take a pledge to be absolutely honest about our lessons. Would you join?" "Of course I would," said Avis, heartily. "I'd be very glad to. So would many of the girls, I'm sure. We all hate being unfair, only it seems too bad when two or three take an advantage and get the best marks." Patty set to work without further delay, and managed to enrol thirteen names on her list of honour. Enid, Winnie, and Jean were naturally willing recruits, as were also Cissie Gardiner, Maggie Woodhall, and five of the lower division, including Ethel Maitland. Beatrice Wynne, after a little hesitation, added her signature, but May Firth, Doris Kennedy, and Ella Johnson refused point-blank. "It's just another of your absurd fads, Patty Hirst," said Ella. "You're quite a new girl, it's only your first term here, and I think it's very conceited of you to be always trying to make out you're so much better than anyone else." "Oh, Ella, you know I don't!" said poor Patty. "Yes, you do," snapped Ella. "You're not a monitress, Patty Hirst," said May Firth, "so I can't see why you should concern yourself with our affairs." "Do your own exercises, and leave us to do ours," said Doris Kennedy. "We don't want to belong to your silly society." After meeting with such a rebuff, Patty felt very diffident about mentioning the matter to the remaining members of the class. She had no wish to be considered self-righteous and interfering, but, all the same, she thought she was bound to try and use her influence to set straight what was certainly a doubtful practice, and she meant to persist even at the risk of being called hard names. She found Muriel and her three friends alone in the recreation room one afternoon, and screwed up her courage sufficiently to broach the subject to them. "I wasn't aware that anybody cheated," said Muriel coldly, pausing for a moment in the letter she was writing. "If they do, by all means get them to take your pledge. It doesn't concern me." "Nor me either," said Vera. "I go my own way, and don't trouble about other people." "We thought perhaps you'd join, as so many of the girls have done so," said Patty, timidly. "It's quite unnecessary," said Vera, "and for Maud and Kitty too. You'd better take it to the Fifth Class." Kitty Harrison said nothing, but she came to Patty afterwards and asked that her name might be placed on the list.