grounds of Vincent Hall by means of a rustic paling. Miss Heath was
the very popular vice-principal of this hall, and Prissie was
considered a fortunate girl to obtain a home in her house. She sat now
a forlorn and rather scared young person, huddled up in one corner of
the fly which turned in at the wide gates, and finally deposited her
and her luggage at the back entrance of Heath Hall.

Priscilla looked out in the darkness of the autumn night with
frightened eyes. She hated herself for feeling nervous. She had told
Aunt Raby that, of course, she would have no silly tremors, yet here
she was trembling and scarcely able to pay the cabman his fare.

She heard a girl's laugh in the distance, and it caused her to start
so violently that she dropped one of her few treasured sixpences,
which went rolling about aimlessly almost under the horse's hoofs.

"Stop a minute, I'll find it for you," said a voice. A tall girl with
big, brown eyes suddenly darted into view, picked up the sixpence as
if by magic, popped it into Priscilla's hand and then vanished.
Priscilla knew that this was the girl who had laughed; she heard her
laughing again as she turned to join some one who was standing beside
a laurel hedge. The two linked their arms together and walked off in
the darkness.

"Such a frightened poor fresher!" said the girl who had picked up the
sixpence to her companion.

"Maggie," said the other in a warning voice, "I know you, I know what
you mean to do."