th satisfaction, had become aware of the
situation and was evidently uneasy. She looked as imploringly as she
dared at remorseless little Dulcie, as if appealing to her not to get
her into trouble; but Dulcie bent her eyes obstinately on her book and
would not see her.

If the letter had been addressed to any other boy in the school, she
would have done her best to shield the culprits; but this she could not
bring herself to do here. She found a malicious pleasure in remaining
absolutely neutral, which of course was very wrong and ill-natured of
her.

Mr. Bultitude began now to be seriously alarmed. The fatal paper must be
seen by some one in the Doctor's pew as soon as the congregation sat
down again; and, if it reached the Doctor's hands, it was impossible to
say what misconstruction he might put upon it or what terrible
consequences might not follow.

He was innocent, perfectly innocent; but though the consciousness of
innocence is frequently a great consolation, he felt that unless he
could imbue the Doctor with it as well, it would not save him from a
flogging.

So he made one more desperate attempt to soften Dulcie's resolution:
"Don't be a naughty little girl," he said, very injudiciously for his
purpose, "I tell you I must have it. You'll get me into a terrible mess
if you're not careful!"

But although Dulcie had been extremely well brought up, I regret to say
that the only answer she chose to make to this appeal was that slight
contortion of the features, which with a pretty girl is euphemised as a
"_moue_," and with a plain one is called "making a face." When he saw it
he knew that all hope of changing her purpose must be abandoned.

Then they all sat down, and, as Paul had foreseen, there the white
cocked-hat lay on the dark pew-carpet, hideously distinct, with _billet
doux_ in every fold of it!

It could only be a question of time now. The curate was reading the
first lesson for the day, but Mr. Bultitude heard not a verse of it. He
was waiting with bated breath for the blow to fall.

It fell at last. Dulcie, either with the malevolent idea of hastening
the crisis, or (which I prefer to believe for my own part) finding that
her ex-lover's visible torments were too much for her desire of
vengeance, was softly moving a heavy hassock towards the guilty note.
The movement caught her mother's eye, and in an instant the compromising
paper was in her watchful hands.

She read it with incredulous horror