“Then the only time will be between dinner and study bell,” said Hilary. “Tell the other girls, Helen, please. Where shall we meet?”

“O, down on the beach. Let’s go around to the cliffs.”’

“All right, Betty,” said Helen. “Adieu, ladies, for the present.”

Tap-tap-tap.

“Come in,” said Lilian, starting to open the door. But Alma Huntley had already let herself in.

“Good to see you all back,” she said hurriedly. Alma was always in a hurry, having many hours on duty for Miss Randolph, and studies of her own besides. “Miss Randolph would like to see you, Cathalina, in her room as soon as possible.”

“I can go at once.” Cathalina rose.

“Come along, then,” invited Alma, and the two disappeared. Avalon and Isabel departed and soon no visitors were left. Hilary, Betty and Lilian flew around putting a few last touches on the room and tucking away this or that in box or drawer.

“Haven’t we done well with our unpacking this time?” said Lilian. “We’ll not have a thing but lessons tonight. Anything else can be left till Saturday. Don’t you hope they’ll drive us in to Greycliff?”

“Yes,” said Hilary. “I want a can-opener and some plates at the ten cent store, and a cup and saucer. Mother said I might just as well get the dishes here as to bother with packing any. I like to have enough at feasts, don’t you?”

Dressing, writing a letter or two home, and fixing schedules of study occupied the rest of the time before dinner.

The lake shore at Greycliff was both beautiful and interesting. There were the tall, grey stone cliffs which had given the village and the school their name, and beneath the cliffs a rocky shore with great boulders, around which the waters tossed and foamed. Then there was a long, wide stretch of sand, under bluffs of a different formation. To bathe and swim, the girls naturally frequented the sandy beach and its rolling waves, but the rocks made attractive seats, and on top of the “Cliffs” there was soil, with trees and bushes. Only a part of this belonged to the school.

The appointed meeting could as well have taken place in one of the suites, but none of the girls wanted to miss the time, 

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