he
manner in which both societies went about making converts. I didn't
like it the very first day we came."

"Miss Picolet, your French teacher, told me something about Mary Cox
meeting the stage and getting hold of you two girls before you had
reached Briarwood at all."

"Yes, ma'am."

"By the way," said the Preceptress, her brow clouding again and the
stern look coming back into her face that had rested on it when Ruth
had first entered the room, "you had met Miss Picolet before you
arrived at the school?"

"She spoke to us in the stage--yes, ma'am."

"But before that--you had seen her?"

"Ye-es, ma'am," said Ruth, slowly, beginning to suspect that Mrs.
Tellingham's curiosity was no idle matter.

"Where?"

"On the _Lanawaxa_--the boat coming down the lake, Mrs. Tellingham."

"Miss Picolet was alone aboard the boat?"

Ruth signified that she was.

"Did you see her speaking with anybody?"

"We saw a man speak to her. He was one of the musicians. He
frightened Miss Picolet. Afterward we saw that he had followed her out
upon the wharf. He was a big man who played a harp."

"And you told this to your school-fellows after you became acquainted
here?"

Mrs. Tellingham spoke very sternly indeed, and her gaze never left
Ruth's face. The girl from the Red Mill hesitated but an instant.
_She_ had never spoken of the man and Miss Picolet to anybody save
Helen; but she knew that her chum must have told all the particulars to
Mary Cox.

"I--I believe we _did_ mention it to some of the girls. It impressed
us as peculiar--especially as we did not know who Miss Picolet was
until after we were in the stage-coach with her."

"Then you are sure you have not been one who has circulated stories
among the girls about Miss Picolet--derogatory to her, I mean?"

"Oh, Mrs. Tellingham! Never!" cried Ruth, earnestly.

"Do you know anything about this silly story I hear whispered that the
marble harp out there on the fountain was heard to play the night you
and Miss Cameron arrived here?"

"Oh!" ejaculated Ruth.

"I see you know about it. Did you hear the sound?"

"Ye-es, ma'am," admitted Ruth.

"I will not ask you under what circumstances you heard it; but I _do_
ask if you have any knowledge of any fact that might explain the
mystery?"

Ruth was silent for several moments. She was greatly worried; yet she
could understand how this whole matter had come to Mrs. Tellingham's
knowledge. Mary Cox, angry at