Everybody at Easthampton, new girls and old, knew all about the Richoter Science Prize. That and the Essay Medal were the "scholastic plums" of the year, as Hilary said. This year Salome, the head prefect of Sheerston's, was undoubtedly the favourite for the science prize. But a good deal of excitement was aroused when Duane, after returning from a rather mysterious interview with the Principal, announced somewhat lugubriously that Miss St. Leger strongly advised her to enter for the Richoter, and that Miss Vacher spoke highly of her natural ability at the subject and considered that she had a very good chance, if she did her best, of winning the prize.
The other Carslake heroes naturally thought this a brilliant notion on the part of the Principal. Their house would now have a candidate to represent it, and if, by any chance, Duane managed to win the prize, what a triumph for Carslake's! They solemnly assured their doleful-looking head prefect that they would help her as much as they possibly could.
The Upper Fifth, as a whole, freely gave their opinions on this new entry for the Richoter. Duane, they said, though a slacker, was undoubtedly clever at some things, and would be a worthy opponent for Salome and Eileen Gilbert and the other five or six candidates. Whereupon Kitty, her enthusiasm for her house catching fire from that of the girls of Sheerston's, Prince's and Green's, called out in her clear, decided way, a remark which she would afterwards have given worlds to have left unsaid, though it meant little or nothing at the time.
"Duane will be something more than a worthy opponent to your girls. She's going to win that prize, and we're going to use every means in our power to bring it off. You mark my words."
"I say, Kitty," remonstrated Hilary, a little later, "you needn't be so deadly certain that Duane will win the Richoter."
Kitty laughed. "When I hear the other houses boasting that one of their own girls is practically sure of the prize, I simply have to up and boast a bit for our poor old house. No one else will."
"Oh yes, that's all right. Only if Duane doesn't get it, you'll be twitted no end," warned Hilary.
"Pooh! I can stand that. Besides, Duane isn't going to lose. Why, this is Carslake's Great Opportunity!" Several other girls, passing by, caught the last two sentences and smiled, half amusedly, half curiously, at Kitty's emphatic words and tone.
There were only three weeks before the exam, but as all students know, quite a lot of swotting can be done in three weeks if it doesn't matter about neglecting other things. The Carslake seniors were as good as their word. "Even better," as Duane remarked dryly, to which Margaret said reproachfully, "Why, I do believe we're more enthusiastic over it than you are!"
"Especially Kitty," returned Duane, with a half-mocking, half-quizzical glance at Kitty that made her flush hotly.
The other prefects, Hilary and France, willingly took upon themselves disciplinary duties which usually fell to the head prefect's lot, in order to give her more time for study. Kitty industriously copied out lists of game practices, weekly reports, notices of sports or debate meetings, and similar things which were part of the head girl's routine, while much of Duane's ordinary preparation was excused. All this help was accepted by the head prefect readily enough, until it came to assistance in early morning rising. Hilary and Kitty held themselves responsible for seeing that she was out of bed ten minutes before rising bell, dressed by the time the bell rang, and ready for three-quarters of an hour's hard study before breakfast. To this Duane most strongly objected, using the passive form of resistance, and it says much for the patience and firmness of Hilary and Kitty that, right up to the exam itself, Duane was downstairs every morning soon after the rising bell.
It must be admitted, however, that to achieve this record, Hilary had to resort to a novel stratagem suggested by Kitty's fertile brain. This was the innocent plan of tying one end of a piece of cord round Duane's ankle after she was in bed, and letting the other end hang by Hilary's bedside. Thus a good strong pull from Hilary woke Duane effectually from slumber. This worked very well the first couple of mornings, but on the third Duane declined to get out of bed merely because her leg was jerked. Whereupon Kitty and Hilary attached another cord, to the victim's arm this time, with the satisfactory result that next morning an extremely vigorous pull on both cords jerked her right out of bed and landed her amid a heap of tumbled bedclothes upon the floor, where she was not allowed to remain for long.
Carslake affairs, however, though much improved, were not yet progressing with the smoothness of well-oiled machinery. The fiery Peggy and her devoted satellites were frequently coming into collision with the prefects, and after one such incident, Peggy, brooding over the lines she had been set that morning, was not mistress of her temper at cricket practice in the afternoon and disputed Duane's verdict of l.b.w. against her. The head prefect's temper was also strained by the unusual amount of work she was doing just before the Richoter, and her customary imperturbable indifference was ruffled and disturbed.
"I'm acting as umpire," she said sharply. "You had better get off the field if you don't agree with my decision."
Peggy looked at her, flushing with resentment. "What do you mean, Duane?"
"Mean? What I say. Either accept my verdict or else clear off the field."
Peggy's hot flush faded.
"If I go now I'll never, never play in a match again if you're captaining the team," she said, in a voice that trembled with anger and humiliation. Duane shrugged her shoulders indifferently.
"Please yourself. Your services aren't indispensable," she returned, coldly.
Peggy dropped her bat and walked off defiantly. Little Erica Salter, with a glance of mingled fury and reproach at Duane for treating her idol thus, rushed off the field after her retreating figure. The juniors looked at each other uncomfortably, several being obviously inclined to follow her example. Then Kitty sang out cheerily, "Come along! Who's going in next? It's my turn to bowl, and I hate wasting time, you know." The girls turned to her with relief, and for the rest of the time it was Kitty's personality which dominated the game, while Duane stood silently watching.
A little later, coming down the passage in her unhurried way, Duane nearly ran into Erica. The child's face was flushed and her eyes bright. She looked very pretty and childish as she planted herself in front of the head prefect. The latter had perforce to stop too.
"Why, Erica," she said, "do you want anything?"
"No," replied the child, fixing her bright eyes on the tall figure of the head prefect and clenching her little hands. "Only—only to tell you that I think you're simply hateful."
"And why, pray, this flattering opinion of me?" inquired Duane lazily, with a smile.
"Oh, you can laugh," said Erica, stamping her foot angrily. "But I think you were simply horrid to Peggy this afternoon and I hate you for it. I hope you'll have something nasty happen to you some day, and then p'r'aps you'll be sorry you've been so nasty to other people."
"Peggy will get over it all right in a day or two. She'll be quite a nice girl in a couple of years, when she's rubbed off the edges. Don't worry your head over her—or me either. Go along and play with your dolls."
"Dolls!" said Erica, scornfully. "I don't play with dolls now. I'm much too big."
Duane looked down at her with a sudden twinkle in her eyes. "You're not very big though. But I do believe you're the prettiest little kid in the school."
She stooped suddenly, caught the child impulsively in her arms and kissed her. Erica indignantly struggled free and ran off down the passage as hard as she could. Ten minutes later, Duane, with wrinkled brows, was plunged deep in a last skim through a chapter on chlorine, Peggy and such minor disturbances completely forgotten.
The examination opened with two written papers on the first day. The second day was devoted to the more important half of the exam, the practical work. The laboratory was given over entirely to the use of the candidates; balances had been carefully cleaned and adjusted, as all knew that accurate results depended very largely upon accurate weighing and measuring; everything else that would be required had been put in order.
Just after half-past twelve the candidates came trooping out in a body, Miss Vacher, looking intensely important, bringing up the rear and locking the door. They were met in the hall by a large crowd of girls who were eager to know what they had been doing, but inquiries for details only resulted in the victims walking off arm-in-arm with their own particular chums.
"Oh, don't ask any more questions," begged Eileen. "Give us a rest till we go back to it this afternoon. Yes, Gwen, we're working three at a bench. I'm at the one just inside the door, in the middle, with Salome on my right and Duane on my left. In good company, you see. No, we're only allowed to speak to Miss Vacher."
Meanwhile Duane, accompanied by the Carslake seniors, went off to her study, where she dropped into the easy-chair with an air of fatigue, while the others disposed themselves on the table and such chairs as the little room possessed.
"We don't begin again till half-past two, one comfort," said Duane dreamily. "Give us plenty of time to digest our dinners. I hope the analysis of my compound works out right."
"Let us know if it does, won't you?" said France eagerly.
"Oh, certainly," replied Duane. "I believe mine will come right," she added reflectively. "I've a sort of feeling it will."
"In your bones, I presume," suggested Kitty maliciously. Kitty was always rubbed up the wrong way by Duane's airy manner of treating even serious things.
"That's just it," assented Duane at once. "Only I hope," anxiously, "it won't turn out to be rheumatism after all."
Kitty laughed. "Scored off me there," she said frankly. "Hallo, who's this?"
"This" proved to be a junior from one of the other houses.
"If you please, Duane," she said, "I've come from Miss Vacher. She wants a pipette out of the laboratory at once. I think she's doing some experimental work in her room and she said, as you had the key, would you mind fetching a pipette for her? She hopes it won't be troubling you, and I'll take it back with me."
"Why on earth has Washer given the key to you, Cato?" asked France, looking surprised.
"To mind it for her," replied Duane, with a laugh. "You know what a bother there was last year when poor old Washer lost the key in the dinner-hour, and how eventually they had to break open the door and get in. Washer was dreadfully upset and didn't want a repetition of it this year, so she handed the key over to me after we got outside, and asked me to keep it till we went in again this afternoon."
There was a general laugh at Duane's explanation. Inside the laboratory Miss Vacher was as keen and as capable as Miss St. Leger herself. Away from science, she was the most hopelessly absent-minded person it was possible to imagine. She kept an army of small girls constantly employed looking around for her possessions.
However, everybody seemed to take the explanation for granted, though Kittydidthink that the science mistress's eccentricities were responsible for a state of affairs that was not quite what it should be. Still, it was certainly not her place to say so.
Duane was eyeing the small messenger ruefully. "Oh, bother Miss Vacher! What on earth does she want a pipette for just before dinner! It isn't soup day. I'm so comfortably settled too, and having a few minutes' rest. I say, kid, if I gave you the key, couldn't you slip along and get it?"
The girl looked doubtful. "Better go yourself, Duane," advised Hilary. "You know the lab's out of bounds to-day for us folk. I shouldn't send a junior, in case of an accident."
"No, I suppose not," agreed Duane. "I shouldn't like to get anyone into trouble. Still, it's an awful bore," and she yawned as she spoke.
"I'll go if you like," Kitty volunteered. "I know where the pipettes are kept—over by the window—and it won't take me a minute."
"Thanks ever so much," said Duane. "You're a brick. Here's the key. Of course, there's no need to advise you to give a wide berth to our experiments."
"Of course not," replied Kitty. "I shan't go near the benches. I'll be back in a tick." She disappeared with a nod, and in a few minutes returned and handed over pipette and key to Duane, who slipped the key into her pocket and gave the pipette to the junior. "Here you are. Trot it along—with Duane's love—and don't smash it on the way. Be sure you don't forget the love."
"Vacher was always rather smitten with you," remarked Bertha with a grin. "Now, any of the others would have handed the key over to Salome. She's your senior really."
"Yes, queer taste on Washer's part, isn't it?" returned Duane complacently.
"Very," said France, bursting into a laugh. "However, you make a very well-matched pair."
"Yes, I suppose you're thinking that opposites meet," replied Duane, undisturbed. "There's only one thing in which Washer and I are alike."
"What's that?"
"Our genius for science."
"Well, let's hope your genius will pull off the Richoter for you," put in Kitty. "Then Carslake's can crow for once in its life. There's the dinner bell. You'll see our Richoter candidate doesn't faint this afternoon through lack of nourishment, won't you, France?"
By two o'clock that afternoon the four houses were quiet and deserted, all except the Richoter candidates being in their classrooms. Little did they dream, as the clock hand pointed to the half hour and then crept onwards, of the drama that was being enacted even then in the science laboratory.
The nine candidates had assembled punctually at two-thirty; Duane had handed over the key to Miss Vacher and, Miss St. Leger also with them, they had entered the room and taken up their former places to continue their work.
There was several minutes' silence while the girls began to take their compounds from the midget furnaces, preparatory to weighing. Miss St. Leger and Miss Vacher were talking together in low tones when a sudden exclamation from Salome made them glance up quickly. With an expression of amazement on her face the girl was gazing at one of the pans which she had just removed from her balance; underneath the pan was a small gravel pebble attached to the pan by means of a piece of plasticine. She swung round quickly as the Principal's voice, from just behind her, said sharply: "Has someone been interfering with your balances, Constance?" (Constance was Salome's baptismal name.)
"'Has someone been interfering with your balances, Constance?' asked the Principal.""'Has someone been interfering with your balances, Constance?'asked the Principal."
"It—it seems so, Miss St. Leger," stammered Salome. "I tested my balances to see if they were correct before weighing, and was astonished to find one side much heavier than the other. Then I took off the pans to try and find the cause and discovered this piece of gravel underneath one of them."
The faces of the Principal and the science mistress were very grave, for it looked as if a deliberate attempt had been made to spoil Salome's results. Aware that the other girls in the room had paused in their work to listen in astonishment, Miss St. Leger said decidedly, "Continue your work, girls. Constance, I will inquire into this as soon as you have all finished your practical work. Go on now with your experiment."
The Principal stayed in the room till the time allotted for the practical work was over, then she called them all together round the bench where Salome, Eileen and Duane had been working and explained to them exactly what had happened. They looked at one another with mingled feelings of discomfort and amazement.
Miss St. Leger first questioned Salome. "When did you use your balances last—I mean before your discovery at the beginning of the afternoon?"
"This morning," replied Salome at once. "Not long before we left. We had to weigh our compounds before putting them into the midget furnaces to heat during the dinner hour."
"You are sure they were correct then?"
"Quite sure, Miss St. Leger. I always lift them before using, to test and correct them, if necessary. I distinctly remember testing them this morning."
"Then that means that someone has tampered with them between then and when we returned," interposed Miss Vacher.
"Exactly. But surely it was not possible for anyone to touch them while you were working in the room. Constance, what do you say? You should be the best judge of that."
Salome raised her eyes frankly to the Principal. "I have been thinking of that, Miss St. Leger. It seems quite impossible to me. I did not leave my place after the weighing till we went out about ten minutes later."
"And the nearest girls to you?"
"Eileen and Duane, and they were right at the farther ends of the benches. I am quite sure no girl in this room touched them then."
"Who was the last one to leave the room?"
"Eileen and I. We came out together with Miss Vacher."
"You are quite sure of that? No one was left behind, even for a half minute or so? It could have been done in a few seconds."
"I was the last out, Miss St. Leger," replied the science mistress, "and I locked the door after me."
"Most extraordinary," said the Principal, "and there is only one key to that lock in the school. We foundthatout last year. The key never left your possession during the dinner hour, I suppose, Miss Vacher?"
The science mistress was looking far from happy. "The key was not in my possession, Miss St. Leger. After last year—I mean, owing to my unfortunate absent-mindedness—I decided to entrust it to somebody else. Duane took charge of it for me."
"Oh!" Miss St. Leger's expression changed abruptly. No longer did she look puzzled, but keen and alert. "I am rather sorry for that. However, Duane will be able to answer that question for us."
Duane hesitated, looking across at the science mistress.
"Only once, Miss St. Leger. Miss Vacher sent a junior asking me to get a pipette out of the lab for her, as she wanted it for some private work she was doing in her room. I was—was feeling rather lazy, so another girl offered to fetch it for me."
"Who was the girl who fetched the pipette?"
"Kitty Despard."
Miss St. Leger nodded. "Ah yes, I remember. The girl from Australia, who came at the beginning of the term. When was this?"
"Just before dinner."
"How long was she gone?"
"Only a few minutes."
"She gave the key back to you on her return?"
"Yes."
"What did you do with it then?"
"I put it back into my pocket."
"And it stayed there till you handed it to Miss Vacher?"
"Yes, Miss St. Leger."
"No one could have taken it and put it back again unknown to you, I suppose?"
Duane shook her head decidedly.
Miss St. Leger turned to Eileen.
"Will you please see if you can find Kitty Despard for me, Eileen, and ask her to come here. She is probably down on the playing-fields, as afternoon lessons are over. Don't say anything to Kitty or anyone else about what is happening here."
While Eileen was gone, the Principal again turned to Duane.
"You are quite sure no one else had use of the key except yourself and Kitty?"
"Quite sure, Miss St. Leger."
"And—I am sorry to have to put this question to you, Duane, but under the circumstances I must. You yourself never went inside the laboratory during the time the key was in your possession, and you have no knowledge yourself of anyone who did so, except Kitty Despard?"
"No."
"You give me your word of honour that you have spoken the truth?"
Duane flushed, but replied:
"Yes, Miss St. Leger."
On Kitty's arrival in Eileen's wake, the Principal turned to her.
"I have sent for you to ask you a few questions. The matter is rather a serious one, and I want you to answer me very carefully."
Kitty looked in unmistakable astonishment at the circle of serious faces around her.
"You came to the laboratory during the dinner hour to-day to fetch a pipette for Miss Vacher?"
Kitty's look of wonderment became more marked.
"Yes, Miss St. Leger."
"You went straight in and fetched the pipette?"
"Yes."
"Did you touch anything else in the room?"
"No, I don't think so."
"You did not touch the girls' experiments or their balances, for instance?"
"Oh no. I was specially careful not to go near them."
"You did not see anyone else about?"
"No, the corridor was empty. In fact, the building seemed deserted."
"No doubt all the girls were in their houses waiting for the dinner bell. Are you quite sure you locked the door when you left the room?"
"Positive."
Here Miss Vacher interposed. "Yes, we found the door locked right enough when we returned in the afternoon, Miss St. Leger."
"One more question, Kitty. You took the key straight back to Duane? No other girl entered the laboratory while you had it?"
"No one, Miss St. Leger," replied Kitty, shaking her head.
Then Miss St. Leger explained to the puzzled senior what had happened, but Kitty, with absolute candour, declared firmly that she had not interfered with the balances and could offer no explanation of the matter. The other girls said exactly the same, and there the inquiry ended for the time being.
The Principal walked restlessly across the room and stared out of the window into the quad below. "One thing is certain," she remarked; "there are no ordinary means of entry into this room except through the door. Well, I shall probably call the whole school together for a public inquiry. Until then, I want you girls to understand that I do not wish the matter to go any farther. That will do, thank you, girls. I am sorry I have had to take up some of your time. Miss Vacher will take you into the Sixth Form room so that you can write out your results before tea-time."
Tea at Carslake's that day was the usual cheery meal, and if Kitty and Duane were unusually quiet and silent no one gave much heed to them. Consequently, it was quite a shock to all except Kitty and Duane when, directly tea was over, the house mistress gave the order to assemble at once in the hall.
"What on earth's up now?" exclaimed Hilary, as the little party of seniors made their way across the quad to the school building on the heels of their juniors. "Duane, do you know?"
The head prefect paused a moment before she answered, "Yes, I think so, but you'll know all about it in a few minutes."
As she spoke they entered the hall, finding it nearly full, with rank after rank of waiting girls, all talking in subdued murmurs that now and again broke into a clamorous buzz. Silence fell abruptly as Miss St. Leger entered and took her place on the dais at the farther end of the hall. The girls stood in their house places, Sheerston's and Carslake's on the right of the wide central gangway, Prince's and Green's on the left. The Principal then gave the signal for calling-over, a customary formality which only took place on special occasions, and the four head prefects began rapidly calling the names of the girls in their own houses, each girl answering, "Present." With the calling-over the interest in the proceedings increased, if possible, everyone being given the impression that the occasion was a serious one.
Amidst a breathless hush, the Principal began to speak.
"You will be wondering, I know, why I have assembled the whole school so suddenly. I am sorry to say that the reason is a very unpleasant one. It is this. A deliberate attempt was made to spoil the chances of one of the Richoter candidates in the practical examination which, as you all know, took place to-day. You will be still more surprised to hear," pausing as an amazed gasp ran round the room, "that the girl upon whom this despicable trick was attempted is one of the most well-liked and esteemed—perhaps the most popular girl in the school, the head prefect of Sheerston's." A low murmur was heard and all heads turned involuntarily towards Salome, who coloured all over her frank, open face, then paled as swiftly.
"That this silly, stupid attempt failed most lamentably does not, to me, make it any the less serious."
The Principal then proceeded to explain the nature of the experiment the candidates were working, and the apparatus being used. She gave the gist of the inquiry she had held in the laboratory that afternoon, and then went on to say:
"So you see, it certainly seems that the only two girls who can throw any light on this affair are Duane and Kitty. If those two girls will come forward I should like to question them again before the school. They have had a little time since my first inquiry to think things over and may have thought of something which did not then occur to them."
Conscious that the gaze of every soul in the room was on them, Duane and Kitty advanced to Miss St. Leger's dais. Of the two, Duane betrayed the least emotion; her calm imperturbability stood her in good stead now. Kitty was pale and trembling a little, but she looked the Principal straight in the face in her frank, fearless manner, and when she spoke her voice was clear and steady.
"Do you still assert, Kitty, that you did not touch the balances when you went into the laboratory this morning?"
"No, I did not touch them, Miss St. Leger," replied Kitty firmly.
"On your word of honour?"
"On my word of honour."
"You saw nobody near the laboratory when you were there?"
"No, Miss St. Leger," Kitty replied, and a kind of sigh rustled round the listening ranks. The Principal turned to Duane.
"The key did not pass out of your charge except when Kitty had it?"
"No, Miss St. Leger."
"Where were you after dinner when the rest of the girls had gone to afternoon lessons?"
"In my study, resting. I stayed until it was time to return to the laboratory."
"And during that time you did not go to the laboratory yourself?"
"No, Miss St. Leger."
"That will do, thank you. You may go to your places."
"Begorrah!" murmured Paddy under her breath to the next girl, "didn't she look right through them! I wonder they didn't sink through the floor."
The Principal had turned to the girls and was addressing the school again.
"If any girl here thinks she can throw any light on this affair, can tell us anything that we do not at present know, will she please come forward now."
There was silence. The girls looked from one to another, but no one spoke or moved out of her place.
"Someone in this room this evening is the culprit," continued the Principal, in her most impressive tones. "I will make my appeal to that girl, whoever she is. If she is sorry for an impulsive, unconsidered act, the finest way to show her repentance, and the way that calls for most moral courage, would be to come forward now in front of the whole school and confess her guilty intentions."
Again the Principal paused and swept the rows of upturned faces with earnest gaze. Many paled and looked uncomfortable and apprehensive, but no one stirred or spoke and the silence became so intense that one could have heard a pin drop.
Then the Principal turned with a brisk movement and the tension relaxed.
"I will not keep you any longer to-night, girls. I shall let the matter rest for a few days, so that the culprit may have a second chance. If she has not the courage to come forward and confess in front of the school, it is my earnest hope that she will come to me in private, remembering what I said a minute ago. In the meantime I will ask you all to behave quietly and sensibly and not start jumping to any rash or foolish conclusions."
The assembly then broke up, the girls returning to their own houses. The Principal and the mistresses lingered behind on the dais for a few minutes.
"A most distressing thing to happen," Miss Sheerston said in her incisive way. "I would have staked my head that there is not a girl in my house capable of such an act."
The other three house mistresses emphatically declared that they also would have placed undisputed trust in every one of their older girls. There was no character in the school who could be pointed out as flagrantly dishonest. Of course the younger girls were out of the question; they did no science and were incapable of thinking out such a plot.
But it was of Duane and Kitty that the mistresses were thinking chiefly. "It seems as if one of them must be guilty," Miss St. Leger said reflectively, "and one of them a head prefect, too. If only Duane could have accounted for that half-hour or so alone after dinner, then she would have been above suspicion. I hate the thought of suspecting her."
"Things look decidedly black against the other girl, Kitty Despard," Miss Green pointed out. "We know she did go to the laboratory. We have only her word that she didn't touch the balance."
"And yet I am loath to suspect the girl," said Miss St. Leger ruefully. "I liked her straightforward, fearless look, and I reckon myself a pretty good judge of character. If she is guilty, then she is the cleverest hypocrite for a girl I have yet come across. How have you others found her?"
"I like her," said Miss Carslake. "She is not clever, but always bright and open, full of high spirits but quite unassuming. I thought she had been doing a good deal to help the improvement in the house."
"And a real sport on the field," added Miss Bryce, the games mistress. "I mean a sport in the best sense of the word."
"What puzzles me," said Miss Sheerston, "is the motive behind it all. There must be a motive of some sort, that is certain. Constance told me herself she didn't know a single girl in the school who disliked her or who bore her a grudge. The plasticine and gravel offer no clue. There is plenty of the former in the lower form classrooms, used by the little ones for map modelling and that sort of thing, while the path outside is covered with small gravel."
Then Miss Prince proffered a suggestion. "Do you think it is a question, not so much of personal spite but of house rivalry, which as you know is very keen, over examinations as well as over games? That idea excludes Miss Sheerston's girls, of course."
"It might be," admitted the Principal. "I have always encouraged friendly house rivalry, because it raises the standard of work and play. But I should be extremely sorry and disappointed if it has resulted in anything like this."
Kitty would have died rather than show fear when questioned before the whole school. But as she made her way back to her house after the inquiry her heart sank. She realized already that, unless something very unexpected happened, she would be enveloped in a cloud from which it might be impossible to escape. Suspicion rested upon her and Duane alone, and she knew that if it came to choosing between them, the unenviable choice of the girls would most certainly fall upon her. She had actually gone to the laboratory; no one could say that of Duane. One could only say she might have gone. Besides, the girls would not think lightly of doubting the word of one of the head prefects, whom they had known for years, while she, Kitty, was still little more than a stranger from a remote land.
"I declare, I believe Duane knows more of this affair than anyone else does, only she's got the knack of keeping cool and never turning a hair," thought Kitty to herself.
Instead of going straight to her study to do her prep she made for the gym, feeling she would like a few minutes' exercise before settling down to work. Just as she reached the quad she ran into the very girl who was occupying her thoughts.
"Hallo!" she exclaimed, "going to the gym?"
"Yes," replied Duane in her slow drawl.
"Right-oh! we may as well go across together, if you've no objection."
"Just as you like," replied Duane, though a kind of frigidity came over her face, and her grey eyes gazed coldly past, rather than at, the girl to whom she was speaking.
Kitty said nothing for a minute, though her sharp eyes noticed everything. "I do believe, in a way, she's afraid," she said to herself with a curious kind of exaltation. "Afraid of what I might say to her."
Then as she fell into step beside Duane she remarked quietly, "I wonder if it's dawned on you yet that we're both of us in a beastly awkward position?"
"Oh, you mean about that wretched key business?" returned Duane, looking bored.
"You know perfectly well I do," said Kitty, rather sharply. "So why pretend otherwise? You know it's between you and me. You didn't lend that key to anyone else, did you?"
"I thought I answered that question at the inquiry."
"Well, don't get your wool off. What I mean is, you didn't tell a lie to shield anyone?"
"No, I certainly did not," replied Duane, still very coldly. "I am not in the habit of telling lies to shield others from the consequences of their own acts. If people wish to do such things they must first make sure they have the courage to face it out afterwards."
Kitty thought to herself that Duane seemed to have nerve enough to face anything, despite, or perhaps because of, her lethargic temperament. But aloud she said, "Only, you see, I know I never touched the wretched balance. I never went near it. And if I didn't, who did?"
By this time they had reached the door of the gym. As she put her last query Kitty turned and faced Duane, looking her straight in the eyes. The head prefect's expression did not change; save for a slight curling of her lip, not a muscle in her face moved.
"What's the good of asking me? I was never clever at guessing riddles," and with that she pushed the gym door open and walked in without taking any further notice of Kitty.
"Failed dismally in the first round between us, Kitty, my child," muttered Kitty to herself. "I didn't get much out of her, did I? And yet, it only makes me more certain that she knows something about it, in spite of her denials. An absolutely innocent girl would have been decent over it and met me half-way. She was hardly polite to me, and our head prefect has such beautiful manners as a rule. Well, she evidently intends to let me pay the piper."
Changing her mind suddenly, she turned away from the gym without entering and went back to the seclusion of her own study. The rest of the evening passed very quietly in Carslake's, everyone being busy with prep, and there was little public discussion of the Richoter affair. Even in Dormitory A after bed bell had gone, Hilary summarily put a stop to a tentative attempt on the part of the juniors to raise the subject.
The next day, the Richoter candidates heard the pleasing intelligence that the Rev. R. Carstairs, who was keenly interested in the science prize and who always had a hand in its organization, had invited them all to spend the day at his house, punting on the river and picnicking on its banks, with his lovely garden and strawberry beds placed at their disposal. Naturally the nine girls in question, having received permission to go, did not hesitate in accepting this generous invitation.
With the absence of these senior girls, two of whom were head prefects and several others prefects, the houses felt themselves suddenly free from a good deal of the control exercised over them out of lesson hours. Sheerston's and Carslake's were without a head, and even Vanda West, at that disturbing time, felt the loss of Eileen's steady support. Consequently, the girls were a little out of hand that day, and Vanda and Phyllis Knight, of Green's, were powerless to check the conviction that ran like wildfire round the school, that Kitty Despard was known by the seniors to be the girl who had meddled with the balances. One rumour even said that she had been seen coming out of the First Form room on her way to the lab with a piece of plasticine in her hand.
Cold looks were cast at Kitty by the Upper Fifth in class that afternoon, and several cutting remarks addressed by girls to their near neighbours in her hearing made her cheeks burn. When, on the playing-field, it was her turn to bat, some of the juniors looking on hissed her as she walked towards the pitch. This was more than Kitty could bear. Throwing down her bat she turned and faced them, flushed and trembling with anger and indignation.
"What right have you to accuse me? I know I went into the laboratory, but that isn't proof that I did it. You may think what you please. I don't care. I can only say that I did not touch the balances, and if you won't believe me I can't help it," and Kitty, feeling nearly as desperate as her words, strode off the pitch and left the field, her head still defiantly erect. But once out of sight of the girls some of her defiant courage forsook her. She threw herself down in a solitary corner of the grounds, hidden from the players by the swimming-bath.
"I wish I'd never come to this hateful place. The girls here are perfectly horrid. As if dad and the boys at home would ever dream of doubting my word! Oh dear! how on earth shall I stick it here if they go on suspecting me! But I vow I won't. I'd rather go back home—or to another school."
When the Carslake seniors came out from tea, a fresh notice on the board caught Hilary's attention. It ran as follows:
"Seniors are invited to attend a Matter of Special Interest and Import to All, in the debating-room at 6.30 sharp.
"(Signed) Paddy, Sheerston's."
"One of Paddy's brilliant inspirations, I suppose," commented Bertha with a slight sneer. "Are you going, Hilary?"
"Of course," said Hilary with a laugh. "We had better turn up. 'Twouldn't do for Carslake's not to be represented. Margaret will come too, I expect, and France, if she's not too immersed in her latest Academy picture."
Paddy had intended that her little affair should be patronized by the head prefects if possible, and had written out personal invitations for their benefit. The Richoter candidates had just returned from their outing, laughing and talking light-heartedly, the shadow of yesterday's events forgotten for the time being, when a junior came up and presented Duane and Salome with a note each.
"Only one of Paddy's bright schemes," chuckled Salome. "I shall have to turn up to keep everyone out of mischief, I suppose. Coming, Duane?"
"I don't know. Six-thirty! There isn't much time, is there?" replied Duane doubtfully.
"Half an hour. Plenty of time to wash and change. We're let off prep, you know. Come along. Paddy and her confrères are rather good when they get on the entertaining stunt."
"All right. I shall probably be a bit late though, as I have to see Miss Carslake. However, I'll put in an appearance."
"By the by," one of the other seniors interjected, "I suppose nothing fresh has turned up about that beastly balance affair?"
Salome grimaced, then shook her head. "I asked Phyllis as I passed her just now by the gates and she shouted back, 'No.' I guess it will remain a mystery for ever. I wish to goodness I'd pulled off the gravel without Prinny or anyone seeing me."
Goodly numbers of seniors made their appearance punctually at six-thirty and took their seats. When the room was full, Paddy, clad in a tattered gown and a battered old mortar-board, vigorously rang the lesson bell for silence.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she began. "I see upon the smiling faces around me the predominant expression of curiosity. I do not wish to keep you on tenterhooks, my dear fellow-labourers, so I will get on with the business right away. It has come to my ears recently that a grievous crime against the justice of this country has been perpetrated. One of the members of this community has been cast into prison without a trial. Now, my dear friends, you may not have read for the Bar, like myself; you may not even have perused that delightful little text-book entitled 'Raleigh's Elementary Politics,' but at least you have all studied, with keen enjoyment, King John and Magna Carta in history lessons——"
Cheers and groans from the audience were followed by a strange and dubious silence as the meaning underlying Paddy's high-flown speech dawned upon them. The girls cast uneasy glances at each other, not liking the turn affairs had taken. Surely enough fuss had already been made over that Richoter affair, and anyway, there couldn't be much doubt but that Kitty Despard had done it. Paddy was carrying it a bit too far this time, they said to themselves. There might be trouble if Miss St. Leger got to know.
Someone voiced the opinion of the assembly by calling out, "What price the inquiry in the Hall last night? Don't you count that?"
There was silence.
Paddy gravely produced a huge pair of horn-rimmed spectacles and perched them on her nose, then gazed freezingly in the direction of the voice.
"The honourable gentleman over there is surely suffering from delirium tremens. If the honourable gentleman will wait until he hears the charge——"
There was a laugh from some of the girls. Salome, who had half risen from her seat, dropped back into it. The girls began to realize it was evidently only one of Paddy's jokes; there would be nothing serious and unpleasant happening, after all.
"As you have already guessed," went on Paddy briskly, "we propose holding a proper trial by jury this evening. The first step is to arrange the court. I will read out the names of the officers already appointed and they will kindly take their places at once. Having, as you will doubtless acknowledge, the keenest discernment and the readiest wit of you all, I have great pleasure in accepting the part of the Judge myself. Our learned friend, Mr. Frederick Lightfoot, K.C., and Mr. William Pimple will be counsel for the defence and the Crown respectively."
Amid general laughter Paddy's two chums, Flo Lessingham and Kathleen Morris, came forward and took their places, having been previously coached in the parts they had to play. Paddy had two objects in view in organizing this meeting. One was the sheer desire for fun; in Paddy's estimation, all things were legitimate objects for fun. Secondly, she sincerely wished to help Kitty by turning into ridicule much that was at present taken very seriously by the girls. She believed it would relieve the tension all round and make things a good deal easier for the Australian girl, whom she had always liked and whom she was loath to believe dishonourable.
Significant looks were again exchanged when Kathleen Morris brought an action against "a well-known desperado, known among his intimates as Kangaroo": glances, however, which ended in laughter as the charge was read out. The criminal was accused of entering Mrs. Mellish's shop and stealing two ounces of bull's eyes and a bar of Fry's chocolate. By this time some dim notion of Paddy's underlying purpose began to creep into Kitty's mind, for she knew that Paddy was one of the few who had championed her cause. At any rate, she would show them that she, Kitty Despard, was not afraid of facing any trial by jury, in farce or otherwise. Paddy would rely on her to do so. So it was with head erect and a smile on her lips that she walked up to the "dock," and faced the girls with a free, fearless mien.
It was just at this moment that Duane entered, subsided quietly into a seat by the door and glanced round the room in idle curiosity. A puzzled look crept into her face. What on earth were they all up to? Then, as she listened and gazed toward the "dock" with increasing attention, the puzzled look slowly changed to one of realization and at the same time another expression crept into her eyes—quite a different expression. It almost looked like horror.
The girls had been insensibly impressed by Kitty's fearless bearing. As she stood there she certainly looked the last kind of girl to be accused of anything dishonourable or despicable. Salome drew her straight brows together and her face became very thoughtful.
"Van," she murmured under her breath to the head prefect of Prince's, "I believe that girl's telling the truth when she says she didn't touch my balances. Don't you?"
"But Salome, ifshedidn't, it must have been——"
"Hush," said Salome with a quick gesture.
"No, I can't believe that either. Bother it all!"
"Prisoner at the Bar," Paddy was saying with awful solemnity. "Are you or are you not guilty of this terrible and most depraved crime?"
"Not guilty," replied Kitty, clearly and unhesitatingly.
"We will now call the first witness," resumed Paddy, who had her witnesses ready in the adjoining room and was confident of the effect of their absurd appearance upon the audience. "Constable——" She broke off abruptly.
There was a quick gasp from the audience; everyone became rigid. One of the listening girls had sprung to her feet, and now strode impetuously into the centre of the room. It was Duane, her face strangely pale, her habitual lazy, unemotional expression gone, giving place to a curious look of uncertainty, doubt, fear, even horror. One of the girls possessed with a vivid imagination afterwards described it with relish as a "sort of haunted look."
She had jumped to her feet as if impelled by some force outside her own volition; she spoke now, impulsively, stammeringly, the words breaking from her as if she hardly knew what she was saying, twisting her fingers together and looking from side to side.
"What are you doing? What rubbish is all this? I—it can't go on, Paddy. Kitty didn't do it, I tell you. I—you see, I know she didn't do it. I—I'm not quite such a cad as to—I can't tell you exactly." She broke off abruptly. Her glance crossed Kitty's. The Australian met hers steadfastly, unwaveringly. The prefect's pale face flushed crimson, and again words broke from her stammeringly.
"'What rubbish is all this?' Duane asked.""'What rubbish is all this?' Duane asked."
"I—I'm sorry. I have done you an injustice." Again she broke off, checking herself as if she suddenly realized what she was saying, drew in her breath with a quick gasp and caught at the back of her chair to steady herself.
There was a dead silence for the space of ten seconds. The faces of the girls were a study. Duane had certainly betrayed herself this time. Her conscience must have been pricking her badly, or the shock of hearing Kitty arraigned, as she thought, for committing a crime of which she was innocent would not have made her give herself away so completely. But having been absent all day, she was probably unaware of the outbreak of feeling against Kitty, and was not prepared for the shock.
She was silent now, and had pulled herself together, regaining something of her usual composure, though her agitation was still betrayed by the nervous way she was biting her underlip.
But her guilt had been written unmistakably on her face during that half-minute or so during which she had lost control.
Paddy made a desperate and heroic effort to get back to the state of "as you were." Needless to say, it failed dismally. Nobody took any notice of her, everyone being too occupied in staring open-mouthed at Duane and Kitty.
The next minute Salome had pushed her way forward. She was one of the first to grasp all that Duane's few, incoherent, impulsive words must mean; certainly she was the first to act. She went up to Duane and took her by the arm.
"Look here, Duane, what on earth do you mean by this bomb-shell? If you can prove that Kitty is innocent, for goodness' sake hurry up and do so."
Duane looked at Salome. "Well, Salome," she said in a low voice and with a nervous little laugh. "To tell you the truth I hardly realize what I did say just now. I—I lost my head a bit, I think."
"I think you did," Salome agreed grimly. "Anyway, you've properly upset your own apple-cart, as far as the girls here are concerned."
"You mean——"
Salome was no shirker. "I mean everybody here is practically convinced now that you and not Kitty Despard were responsible for faking the balances. Personally, I'm beginning to think Kitty is innocent."
"Yes—yes, she is," said Duane hurriedly, and still in the same low tone. "I—I don't want her to suffer for something she never did."
"The question is," rejoined Salome curtly, "are you going to own up to all you know? You've said enough to convince everybody that you do know something more. We're all waiting to hear."
The indecision and doubt returned in full to the girl's face. "Oh no, not that," she said quickly. "I only wanted to stop the accusation against Kitty, you understand."
Salome's lip curled. "Be a sport, Duane. Don't keep anything back. You'll only do yourself harm. Honestly, it's your best policy."
Duane seemed to shrink a little. "No, I tell you I can't do that, Salome. Look here. I'm going to cut it."
"Wait a minute."
Salome turned round to face the seniors, from whom an impatient buzz had broken out. She held up her hand for silence and the noise subsided, as everybody looked eagerly at her.
"Girls, I think the first thing to be settled is this. Are you all so positive now that Kitty is guilty, or are you willing to give her the benefit of the doubt?"
"I guess we're giving it now," called out Paddy, and it was plain to see that the others were of the same opinion. Salome smiled across at Kitty, who stood rather dazed and white-faced. "It's all right, Kitty. You can sleep to-night with your mind at rest again, I think."
The girls swarmed round Kitty, generous in their apologies and proffers of friendship. Kitty laughed a little shakily. "It's all right. But I'm glad you believe me now. On my honour, I've told nothing but the truth."
Salome spoke a few hurried words to Vanda, then turned again and addressed the assembly. "Duane says she hasn't any more to say just now, girls. We'd be awfully obliged if you'd slip back to your own houses and leave it to us to settle this affair. I'll let you know what—what we decide, as soon as possible."
A few more persuasions and the girls, used to obeying their head prefects, began to file out of the room, though casting many disappointed and curious glances at the four who remained behind. They thought it rather a shame that Duane should not be cross-questioned and made to speak out in their presence. Still, being a head prefect did make a considerable difference—made the affair all the more serious, too.
Salome took the lead, as usual.
"Well, it isn't any good staying here and doing nothing. What have you got to say about it, Duane?"
"I'm not going to say anything more to-night, Salome. I must think it over. You must give me to-night to do that."
"I suppose you realize, Cato," said Vanda gravely, "exactly what your startling interruption this evening means to you? Probably by to-morrow morning the whole school will have made up its mind that it was you who were the culprit."
Duane looked at the floor.
"Yes; I do now. I didn't realize it at the time."
"No. I don't suppose you meant to give yourself away like that. There are two courses open to you. Either you must prove your innocence or else own up to your guilt—if you are guilty."
"Prove my innocence? And how can I do that, pray?"
"You should know best."
"But I don't."
"Anyway, it's plain enough that you know more about it than anyone else. You admitted Kitty didn't do it—and you had the key. Look here, Duane,didyou lend it to another girl whom you don't like to give away? It's the only alternative solution I can think of."
"No," said Duane impatiently, "or I should have said so at the inquiry." Then with a successful return to her old airy flippancy, she added, "Well, good night, everybody. I really can't be held responsible for all the crazy conclusions the kids in this school jump to."
The three prefects looked at each other as the door closed upon Duane.
"And that's that," said Phyllis Knight. "Mark my words, Cato's getting her nerve back again rapidly. She'll have it all back by the morning and will choose to brazen it out. We shall only get airy nothings for our pains in future, if I know Cato. Well, I'm glad I don't belong to Carslake's. Good night, Salome, old girl. Don't lie awake worrying. Good night, Van."
As Salome had foretold, by next morning public opinion, in its fickle fashion, had veered completely round and the majority of the girls were of the opinion that Duane, and not Kitty, was the culprit. It seemed to be a matter more of feeling than cold reasoning, with many. It occurred to a Lower Fifth-former that plasticine was particularly handy in Duane's case, for lumps of it were always knocking around the study she shared with Frances, the artist. Others agreed that, after all, the motive for spoiling Salome's results would be stronger in Duane's case than in Kitty's, for Duane would benefit personally and very practically if she succeeded in triumphing over her most feared opponent.
The other prefects were intensely annoyed by Duane's manner, for the next day she refused to reopen the discussion at all, declaring that she had no more to say than what she had already said. She refused, their kindly-meant offers of help, and, in fact, seemed so flippantly callous in her treatment of the affair that they left her alone in disgust.
But Duane was to find out pretty thoroughly that the way of transgressors is not an easy path to tread. A stiff restraint of manner in the Upper Fifth classroom was all the condemnation the seniors would allow themselves to show; anything in the nature of hooliganism was "bad form" and derogatory to their dignity. They left that to their juniors.
The Carslake juniors, however, had no intention of allowing the matter to drop so readily, and were far more willing to accept the belief that Duane, and not Kitty, was guilty for Kitty had always been more popular with them than their head prefect. After their usual indignation meeting, Duane received a somewhat smudged sheet of exercise-book paper requesting her resignation as head prefect of Carslake's, a request to which she returned a decided refusal.
Thereafter the juniors did all they could in hundreds of little ways to show their reluctance to acknowledge her authority, though they did not dare to rebel outright. The final inter-house cricket match had to be scratched at the last minute because the juniors refused to play in a team captained by Duane, while from the cricket committee came a politely worded request that she should resign her place in the school eleven. A few days later, from the hockey committee came the still politer intimation that with much regret they felt obliged to withdraw Duane's hockey colour. Cricket was practically over, it is true, but for the next two terms hockey would reign supreme at Easthampton.
Strange to say, Duane's own seniors were not so hard on her as the rest of the school, France declaring sturdily that she had been Duane's friend for the last six years and thought it would be disloyal to allow the recent trouble to make any difference; Bertha Salter, with a kind of defiance, was heard to declare that she even had a sort of admiration for Cato and her "nerve"; while kind-hearted Margaret could not refrain from proffering her sympathy to Duane for the loss of her hockey colour.
"Yes, I'm afraid I shan't be able to show my shining genius at hockey next term by scoring all the goals for the school," Duane agreed, rather cheerfully than otherwise. "However, I console myself with the thought that the school matches are not the only ones played."
At first the other three head prefects wondered if they should go further in the matter. They could do no more themselves if Duane continued obdurate. Should they or should they not take this new development to the Principal? But there were other even more important matters to engross their attention now. Examinations had begun. The Upper Fifth were in the throes of the Senior Cambridge, the Sixth departed "en bloc" to London for a week, to sit for matriculation, while even the juniors had their own class examinations to occupy their minds.
These were just finished when the Principal received the results of the Richoter exam and summoned the school together in the hall just after preparation to announce them publicly. Intense, if subdued, excitement prevailed when Miss St. Leger entered and took her stand on the dais.
After a few opening remarks on the Richoter itself, explaining what it was and that a yearly grant was awarded to the winner as well as the honour gained in securing top marks, she went on, "And now for the results themselves, which are very creditable. Miss Vacher and I were aware that two girls specially had particular talent for this branch of work; we thought these two stood the best chance of gaining most marks, but we were very curious as to which it would be. These girls, I may say, have run each other very close, heading the list with only a difference of two marks. Here are the marks of the leading five, out of a possible total of 300:
Duane Estevan 247Constance Hope 245Eileen Gilbert 239Grace Felton 225Florence Lessingham 201
"So you see that Duane has just beaten Constance by a very slender margin, and with an excellent total of 247."
The Principal paused, naturally, for the clamorous applause that should follow her announcement.
But there was no applause.
Instead, there was a dead silence that seemed to last for an eternity. "The most ghastly silence she had ever heard," Paddy afterwards remarked with one of her unexpected Irishisms. No one moved or spoke, but all seemed to be staring straight ahead with wooden countenances. One or two stole a glance at the Carslake head prefect. She stood in her place, her gaze fixed on the floor, her lips set tightly together. Salome was crimson, knowing full well that had her own name been read at the head of the list it would have been the signal for a deafening outburst of applause.
On the Principal's face dawned a look of astonishment as she waited for the applause which never came. Miss Sheerston's brows went up about half an inch, and the other members of the staff shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. Miss Carslake, who had entered beaming all over her face, looked alarmed and her smile gradually faded away. Then the Principal's face became expressionless and she went on in a matter-of-fact tone, as if nothing had happened.
"The other five candidates have all succeeded in gaining over half marks. I will read them out," and the tension relaxed with an audible sigh of relief from the rows of listening girls.
At the order for dismissal everyone filed off back to the houses. Salome wanted to seek out the winner and offer her congratulations, but somehow felt that such a course was now impossible. It would seem such a farcical proceeding after that dreadful silence in the hall. She felt still more uncomfortable when one of her own seniors said to her, "Hard luck, Salome! Duane Estevan ought to have been disqualified for her sneaking attempt at cheating."
Salome checked such remarks as well as she could, pointing out that, whether Duane had attempted to spoil her experiment or not, her own work must have been the best or she would not have gained the highest total.
"Oh, she's clever enough. We all know that," remarked one Upper Fifth-former rather bitterly. "In fact, she's a bit too clever sometimes."
Meanwhile Duane had returned to her own house with the Carslake seniors in an uncomfortable silence. She herself uttered no words and the others did not know what to say. The climax came when they entered the common-room. The girls were standing about in idle groups, though the supper bell had gone. The head prefect spoke as she passed through.
"You shouldn't be standing about like this, you know. You ought to be in the dining-room. The bell has gone."
Everybody stopped talking and looked up. No one moved, however; then someone hissed deliberately and one or two laughed sneeringly. Duane bit her lip and the colour ran up under her skin. For a moment she stood irresolute, then turned and walked off. The rest of the girls went in to supper, but the head prefect's place was vacant. After supper the seniors drifted upstairs together into Hilary's study where they conversed desultorily on the holidays, now very near. In a few minutes Duane appeared and sauntered into the room. The six girls looked up uncomfortably. It was Duane who spoke first, with a drawl that was more than usually pronounced.
"I've just given in to Miss Carslake my resignation of the head prefectship."
"You've resigned, Duane?" stammered Margaret.
"No, you haven't really!" cried France.
"Yes, I have. What else could I do? As matters are, it's a mere farce my being head prefect."
This was true enough. No one, indeed, could gainsay it.
"What did Miss Carslake say?" inquired Hilary.
"Not much. I think this evening enlightened her somewhat as to the state of affairs. She will leave it to the Principal to settle, of course."
Miss Carslake, much disturbed, went straight to Miss St. Leger. The Principal sent for Duane late that evening, and it was some time after bed bell when the prefect came up to her cubicle, though exactly what passed between them in that interview no one but the two concerned ever knew. Next morning after chapel, when just about to set out for morning lessons, the Carslake seniors received orders to go to the Principal's room. They found Salome, Vanda and Phyllis already there. The Principal, as was her wont, went straight to the point.
"Of course you know, girls, that Duane told Miss Carslake last night that she wished to resign her prefectship, giving as her reasons her unpopularity in the school, in particular among her own juniors, who seem to resent very much having to submit to her authority. She feels that under these circumstances she cannot properly discharge her duties as head prefect. Miss Carslake informs me that there was some feeling in the house against the prefects at the beginning of the term, chiefly owing to the suppression of rival societies amongst the juniors, societies which were doing them no good. This, I understand, however, was only a temporary phase and would doubtless have blown over in time—was in fact nearly forgotten—when the unfortunate incident in connexion with the Richoter exam occurred. I am right in saying, am I not, that the school as a whole has made up its mind to lay the blame on Duane?"
"Yes, that is true, Miss St. Leger," replied Salome, speaking for them all.
"I have been very much occupied with examinations lately," continued the Principal, "and hardly realized Duane's unpopularity and the reason for it, until yesterday evening in the hall. But, as far as I can make out, there are no further proofs of either Duane's or Kitty's guilt than those we discussed at the inquiry."
Salome tried to explain. "You see, feeling was at first against Kitty; then something Duane said—her attitude—I mean her manner, convinced the school that she, and not Kitty, was the one responsible."
"Ah, yes. I have heard about that too. The girls believe Duane was on the point of making a confession, but drew back from doing so. I questioned Duane herself about it last night, but she assured me she had never intended making a confession at any time."
"Yes, I believe she says that," assented Salome quietly. The others said nothing, realizing the futility of trying to explain satisfactorily what actually had happened on the evening of Paddy's mock trial.
"It appears, then, that it is a matter of 'feeling' in the school, rather than of actual proof. For my part, I still cannot see how one girl can be adjudged guilty any more than the other. Eithermighthave done it; we cannot definitely prove that eitherdiddo it. It was because of this doubt in the matter, and also because both girls bore an unblemished record in the school, that I decided to let the matter rest. You know, girls, one should be very certain of guilt, before proceeding to inflict punishment."
"We have tried to be quite fair, Miss St. Leger," said Vanda gravely.
"Yes, I know that." Miss St. Leger smiled. "There isn't much I don't know about the characters of the girls in my school, believe me. But I wish you had spoken to me of this exceedingly strong tide of feeling in the school before, instead of taking the easier course and doing nothing. However, now I do know, I will tell you my decision. I have refused to accept Duane's resignation because, for the two reasons I have just given you, I do not see that there is sufficient justification for it.
"I want you to realize this also. In taking on the head prefectship in the third term of a school year and also in a house where the juniors had already shown themselves to be a particularly unruly and unbalanced set as a whole, Duane was accepting a far from easy task. I don't think you girls understood quite how difficult her position was."
"Oh, yes, we knew it was not an easy one," said Hilary earnestly.
"Then some allowances must be made for mistakes, for failures now and again. For one thing, it was an unprecedented happening for a Fifth-former to become head prefect—to be head and yet not the equal of the other head prefects. Again, there was an unfortunately large majority of juniors over seniors in Carslake's. I am confident, however, that there will be a great improvement after the holidays. The older juniors will be seniors and will realize the responsibility of their position more readily. I am hoping that much of this unpleasantness will be buried and put out of mind during the summer vacation. I would prefer, if the culprit cannot be discovered so as to settle the matter beyond all doubt, that the affair should be forgotten, or at any rate, laid entirely on one side. I am hoping, also, that Duane will have sufficient strength of character to live down this feeling in the school against her. You," addressing the Carslake seniors, "will, I hope, back up your head prefect as much as you can."