Miss Ashton. Carrie Smyth, how long have you
been copying Marion's sums, instead of doing your own?"

"I've--I've never copied them, Miss Palmer," said Carrie, looking Miss
Palmer boldly in the face.

"Carrie Smyth, I saw you do so!"

"I--I never did, never, Miss Palmer. _Never!_"

"Go to your room, Carrie Smyth. I am not surprised at your readiness
to tell a falsehood; you have been acting one for weeks, and they are
all the same, the acted and the spoken, in God's sight. Go to your
room and pray; ask God to forgive you."

Then she opened a Bible which lay on a table near her, and in very
solemn tones read these words, "'But the fearful and unbelieving, and
the abominable, and murderers'" (glancing off now in a threatening
manner at Carrie), "'and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire
and brimstone, which is the second death.'"

Carrie turned very pale. If Miss Palmer had asked her for the truth
again, she would have told it, but she did not; she only motioned the
girls from the room, and went herself to see Miss Ashton.

Incidents similar to this were not unusual in the school, and Miss
Ashton always considered them the most painful and troublesome to deal
with. She waited a day or two before taking any notice of it, then she
sent for Marion, who went to her room with fear and trembling.

"Marion," said Miss Ashton, beckoning to her to come and sit on the
sofa beside her, "I am very sorry on your account that this has
happened. It would have been better if you had told Miss Palmer as
soon as you knew what Carrie was doing; better for her, for of course
she was deceiving, and we know what that means; better for Miss
Palmer, for she could form no just estimate of Carrie's scholarship,
for which she is responsible; and better for you, because, in a
certain way, it made you a partaker in the deception."

"O Miss Ashton! I could not tell on her; I could not, _I could not!_"
exclaimed Marion.

"I understand you perfectly," said wise Miss Ashton; "I only want you
to see the situation as it is. If you had thought of it, you might
have come to me. Everything of that kind I should know, then your
responsibility would have ceased, and, without making a class matter
of it, I could have influenced Carrie to do right.

"Now, if you fully understand me, run back to your lessons, only
remember, in whatever perplexity for the future you find you