squint "split" with laughter. Laura sat with her hands locked one inside
the other; there was no escape for her, for she did not know where to
go. But when the third girl put the regulation question: "What's your
name and what's your father?" she turned on her, with the courage of
despair.

"What's yours?" she retorted hotly, at the same time not at all sure how
the big girl might revenge herself. To her relief, the others burst out
laughing at their friend's bafflement.

"That's one for you, Kate Horner," said Maria with a chuckle. "Not bad
for the kid.--Come on, Kid, will you have a walk round the garden?"

"Oh yes, PLEASE," said Laura, reddening with pleasure; and there she
was, arm in arm with her fat saviour, promenading the grounds like any
other of the fifty-five.

She assumed, as well as she could, an air of feeling at her ease
even in the presence of the cold and curious looks that met her. The fat
girl was protective, and Laura felt too grateful to her to take it amiss
that every now and then she threw back her head and laughed anew, at the
remembrance of Laura's patronymics; or that she still exchanged jokes
about them with the other couple, when they met.

But by this time half an hour had slipped away, and the girls were fast
disappearing. Maria Morell loitered till the last minute, then said,
she, too, must be off to 'stew'. Every one was hastening across the
verandah laden with books, and disappearing down a corridor. Left alone,
Laura made her way back to the dining-hall. Here some of the very young
boarders were preparing their lessons, watched over by a junior