Either the younger girls were on their guard or they had suspended their activities.

On Friday evening, however, as Ulyth was coming along the passage from practising, she accidentally cannonaded into half a dozen members of IV B who were standing near the boot cupboard.

She evidently surprised them, for one and all they hastily popped their hands into their pockets.

It was promptly done, but not so quickly as to prevent Ulyth from seeing that they were eating something.
"It's all right," gasped Bertha Halliwell, with apparent unconcern, in reply to Ulyth's apologies.

"You nearly upset me, but I'm not fractured." "I wish you'd take care, though," grumbled Etta Jessop, surreptitiously wiping a decidedly sticky mouth; "no one likes being tumbled over." Ulyth passed on thoughtfully.