by L. T. Meade
itself, was, of course, now theplace of special interest. Heath Hall was also implicated in it, butSeymour Hall, which stood a little apart from its sister Halls, had sentno student to the scene of dissipation. Seymour Hall was the smallestof the three. It was completely isolated from the others, standing inits own lovely grounds on the other side of the road. It now held itshead high, and the girls who belonged to the other Halls, but had takenno part in the auction, felt that their own beloved Halls were lowered,and their resentment was all the keener because the Seymour Hall girlsgave themselves airs.
"I shall never live through it," said Ida Mason, a Heath Hall girl toher favourite chum, Constance Field. "Nothing can ever be the sameagain. If my mother knew, Constance, I feel almost sure she wouldremove me. The whole thing is so small and shabby and horrid, and thento think of Maggie taking part in it! Aren't you awfully shocked,Constance? What is your true opinion?"
"My true opinion," said Constance, "is this: it is our duty to upholdour own Hall and our own chums. As to the best of us, if we are thebest, going away because a thing of this sort has occurred, it is not tobe thought of for a moment. Why, Ida," Constance laughed as she spoke,"you might as well expect one of the leading officers to desert hisregiment when going into battle. You know what Maggie Oliphant is, Ida.As to deserting her because she has had one of her bad half-hours,which she frankly confessed to, like the brave girl she is, I would assoon cut off my right hand. Now, Ida, my dear, don't be a little goose.Your part, instead of grumbling and growling, and hinting at the placenot being fit for you, is to go round to every friend you have in HeathHall, and get them to rally round Maggie and Miss Heath."
"There's that poor Miss Peel, too," said Ida, "Maggie's new friend--thatqueer, plain girl; she's sure to be frightfully bullied. I suppose I'dbetter stick up for her as well?"
"Of course, dear, you certainly ought. But as to Miss Peel being plain,Ida, I don't think I quite agree with you. Her face is too clever forthat. Have you watched her when she acts?"
"No, I don't think I have. She seems to be very uninteresting."
"Look at her next time, and tell me if you think her uninterestingafterwards. Now I'm off to find Maggie. She is sure to be having oneof her bad times, poor darling."
Constance Field was a girl whose opinion was always received withrespect. Ida went off obediently to fulfil her behests; and Constance,after searching in Maggie's room, and wandering in different parts ofthe grounds, found the truant at last, comfortably established with apile of new books and magazines in the library. The library was themost comfortable room in the house, and Maggie was leaning backluxuriously in an easy-chair, reading some notes from a lecture onAristotle aloud to Prissie, who sat at her feet, and took down notes ofher own from Maggie's lips.
The two looked up anything but gratefully when Constance approached.Miss Field, however, was not a person to be dismissed with a light andairy word, and Maggie sighed and closed her book when Constance sat downin an armchair, which she pulled close to her. There were no othergirls in the library, and Prissie, seeing that Miss Field intended to beconfidential, looked at Maggie with a disconsolate air.
"Perhaps I had better go up to my own room," she said, timidly.
Maggie raised her brows, and spoke in an impatient voice.
"You are in no one's way, Priscilla," she said. "Here are my notes fromthe lecture. I read to the end of this page; you can make out the restfor yourself. Well, Constance, have you anything to say?"
"Not unless you want to hear me," said Miss Field, in her dignifiedmanner.
Maggie tried to stifle a yawn.
"Oh, my dear Connie, I'm always charmed, you know that."
"Well, I thought I'd like to tell you that I admired the way you spokelast night."
"Were you present?"
"No, but some friends of mine were. They repeated the whole thingverbatim."
"Oh, you heard it second-hand. Highly coloured, no doubt, and not theleast like its poor original."
Maggie spoke with a kind of bitter, defiant sarcasm, and a delicatecolour, came into Miss Field's cheeks.
"At least, I heard enough to assure me that you spoke the truth andconcealed nothing," she said.
"It is the case that I spoke the truth, as far as it went; but it is notthe case that I concealed nothing."
"Well, Maggie, I have come to offer you my sincere sympathy."
"Thank you," said Maggie. She leant back in her chair, folded herhands, and a tired look came over her expressive face. "The fact is,"she said, suddenly, "I am sick of the whole thing. I am sorry I went; Imade a public confession of my sorrow last night; now I wish to forgetit."
"How can you possibly forget it, until you know Miss Heath's and MissEccleston's decision?"
"Frankly, Constance, I don't care what decision they come to."
"You don't care? You don't mind the college authorities knowing?"
"I don't care if every college authority in England knows. I have beenhumbled in the eyes of Miss Heath, whom I love; nothing else matters."
When Maggie said these words, Prissie rose to her feet, looked at herwith a queer, earnest glance, suddenly bent forward, kissed herfrantically, and rushed out of the room.
"And I love that dear true-hearted child, too," said Maggie. "Now,Constance, do let us talk of something else."
"We'll talk about Miss Peel. I don't know her as you do, but I'minterested in her."
"Oh, pray don't; I want to keep her to myself."
"Why? Is she such a _rara avis_?"
"I don't care what she is. She suits me because she loves me withoutquestion. She is absolutely sincere; she could not say an untrue thing;she is so clever that I could not talk frivolities when I am with her;and so good, so really, simply good, that she keeps at bay my badhalf-hours and my reckless moods." Constance smiled. She believed partof Maggie's speech; not the whole of it, for she knew the enthusiasm ofthe speaker.
"I am going to Kingsdene," said Maggie suddenly. "Prissie is comingwith me. Will you come, too, Constance? I wish you would."
"Thank you," said Constance. She hesitated for a moment. "It is thebest thing in the world for Heath Hall," she thought, "that the girlsshould see me walking with Maggie to-day." Aloud she said, "All right,Maggie, I'll go upstairs and put on my hat and jacket, and meet you andMiss Peel in the porch."
"We are going to tea at the Marshalls'," said Maggie. "You don't mindthat, do you? You know them, too?"
"Know them? I should think so. Isn't old Mrs Marshall a picture? AndHelen is one of my best friends."
"You shall make Helen happy this afternoon, dear Constance."
Maggie ran gaily out of the room as she spoke, and a few minutes laterthe three girls, in excellent spirits, started for Kingsdene.
As they entered the town they saw Rosalind Merton coming to meet them.There was nothing in this, for Rosalind was a gay young person, and hadmany friends in Kingsdene. Few days passed that did not see her in theold town on her way to visit this friend or that, or to perpetrate somelittle piece of extravagance at Spilman's or at her dressmaker's.
On this occasion, however, Rosalind was neither at Spilman's or thedressmaker's. She was walking demurely down the High Street, daintilydressed and charming to look at, in Hammond's company. Rosalind wastalking eagerly and earnestly, and Hammond, who was very tall, wasbending down to catch her words, when the other three girls came brisklyround a corner, and in full view of the pair.
"Oh!" exclaimed Priscilla aloud, in her abrupt, startled way. Her facebecame suffused with a flood of the deepest crimson, and Maggie, whofelt a little annoyed at seeing Hammond in Rosalind's company, could nothelp noticing Prissie's almost uncontrollable agitation.
Rosalind, too, blushed, but prettily, when she saw the other three girlscome up.
"I will say good-bye, now, Mr Hammond," she said, "for I must get backto St Benet's in good time to-night."
She held out her hand, which the young man to
ok, and shook cordially.
"I am extremely obliged to you," he said.
Maggie was near enough to hear his words. Rosalind tripped past herthree fellow-students with an airy little nod, and the faint beginningof a mocking curtsy.
Hammond came up to the three girls and joined them at once.
"Are you going to the Marshalls'?" he said to Maggie.
"Yes."
"So am I. What a lucky _rencontre_."
He said another word or two, and then the four turned to walk down theHigh