The New Girl at St. Chad's A Story of School Life   By: Angela Brazil (1868-1947)

Transcriber's Note: This sentence is incomplete, as printed: "Where did you get it, Flossie?" enquired

The New Girl at St. Chad's

A Story of School Life

By

ANGELA BRAZIL

Author of

"A Fourth Form Friendship" "The Manor House School" "The Nicest Girl in the School" &c.

ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN CAMPBELL

BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED LONDON GLASGOW AND BOMBAY

1912

Contents

Chap. Page

I. Honor Introduces Herself 9

II. Honor's Home 25

III. The Wearing of the Green 39

IV. Janie's Charge 57

V. A Riding Lesson 75

VI. The Lower Third 93

VII. St. Chad's Celebrates an Occasion 106

VIII. A Mysterious Happening 126

IX. Diamond cut Diamond 138

X. Honor Finds Favour 150

XI. A Relapse 166

XII. St. Kolgan's Abbey 182

XIII. Miss Maitland's Window 199

XIV. A Stolen Meeting 212

XV. Sent to Coventry 227

XVI. A Rash Step 243

XVII. Janie turns Detective 258

XVIII. The End of the Term 271

Illustrations

Page

A Chance for Retaliation Frontispiece 146

Honor Concludes the Purchase of Firefly 33

An Interview With Miss Cavendish 54

The Liberation of Pete 96

An Unlucky Escapade 209

"Startled by the voices, she jumped up" 253

THE NEW GIRL AT ST. CHAD'S

CHAPTER I

Honor Introduces Herself

"Any new girls?"

It was Madge Summers who asked the question, seated on the right hand corner of Maisie Talbot's bed, munching caramels. It was a very small bed, but at that moment it managed to accommodate no less than seven of Maisie's most particular friends, who were closely watching the progress of her unpacking, and discussing the latest school news, interspersed with remarks on her belongings.

Maisie extricated herself from the depths of her box, and handed a pile of stockings to Lettice, her younger sister.

"What's the use of asking me?" she replied. "Our cab only drove up half an hour ago. I feel almost new myself yet."

"So do I, and horribly in the blues too," said Pauline Reynolds. "It's always a wrench to leave home. I'm perfectly miserable for at least three days at the beginning of each term. I feel as if "

"Oh, don't all begin to expatiate about your feelings!" broke in Chatty Burns. "We know Pauline's symptoms only too well: the first day she shows aggressively red eyes and a damp pocket handkerchief; the second day she writes lengthy letters home, begging to be allowed to return immediately and have lessons with a private governess; the third day she wanders about, trying to get sympathy from anyone who is weak minded enough to listen to her, till in desperation somebody drags her into the playground, and makes her have a round at hockey. That cheers her up, and she begins to think life isn't quite such a desert. By the fourth morning she has recovered her spirits, and come to the conclusion that Chessington College is a very decent kind of place; and she begins to be alarmed lest her mother, on the strength of the pathetic letter, should have decided to let her leave at once, and should have already engaged a private governess."