Chapters 5-6 Summary

In Chapter 5, Kathy continues to expound on her early friendship with Ruth. At Hailsham, Ruth had been the leader of a group of girls who were devoted to "protecting" their favorite guardian, a woman called Miss Geraldine. Exactly what they were protecting her from was never quite clear, Kathy explains, but they imagined a great conspiracy against her and went about listening to conversations among the guardians and discussing their possible meanings regarding the plot against Miss Geraldine. The "secret guard" as it was called was led by Ruth, who let girls in or expelled them at her own whim. The girls all knew it was a kind of fantasy invented by Ruth, Kathy explains, but they all played along and supported it.

One day Ruth suddenly has a fancy new pencil case and is mysterious about where she got it...