The Nicest Girl in the School A Story of School Life   By: Angela Brazil (1868-1947)

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 CÆSAR 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?"

"Very much, I hope," replied her mother, pausing for a moment in her task of packing the neat piles of linen and underclothing into as small a compass as possible. "I'm sure it seems a delightful school, and you are an extremely lucky girl to be going there."

"Yes," said Patty, with a rather doubtful tone in her voice, sitting down on the edge of the bed, and beginning to turn over the pocket handkerchiefs, the new blouses, the ties, hair ribbons, and other articles which made up her schoolgirl outfit; "I suppose I am lucky. Perhaps it may be nicer than I think. I wanted to go dreadfully when Uncle Sidney first wrote about it, but somehow now that it's got almost to starting off, do you know I feel as if I'd changed my mind, and I'm not at all sure that I wouldn't rather stay at home. It seems too horrible to have to go amongst so many new girls."

Mrs. Hirst laughed.

"Don't be a silly child," she said. "Of course you will feel strange just at first, but you will soon get over your shyness. It will be quite a fresh world for you, and a very interesting one. I expect to have the most enthusiastic letters from you when you have been there for a few weeks."

"It will be different from Miss Dawson's, at any rate," said Patty.

"I hope it will. Miss Dawson's is the best school we have in Kirkstone, but it is only moderately good. I can't be too glad for you to have this opportunity of going to a better one. Give me your stockings, dear, and the workbasket; I've a corner I want to fill up here."