The girls of the Chalet School were all in their places for the assembly with which School always began on the first night of the term. The School, begun nearly six years previously with only eight girls, had swelled in numbers until there were now more than a hundred and fifty girls, thirty-five of whom belonged to St Agnes’, the Junior house; while the rest were distributed between St Clare’s, as the Middle house was called, and Ste Thérèse’s, the original school, where the Seniors lived, and all form-rooms were.
The Chalet School had been started by Madge Bettany, now Mrs Russell, wife of the doctor who was head of the great sanatorium at the Sonnalpe, a broad shelf up in the mountains on the opposite side of the Tiernsee, near which lake the School was situated. For the four terms before this, her young sister, Jo Bettany, had been head-girl. But Jo’s school-days had ended with the end of the summer term, and she was to be followed by Louise Redfield, a charming girl from one of the southern states of America. Louise felt rather diffident as to her ability to take Jo’s place; but those who had appointed her felt no doubt. She was seated in the head-girl’s chair, next to her own chum, Anne Seymour. Anne should really have held the position, but a wild escapade during the previous term had resulted in her being set aside, her friend being chosen instead.