dreadful moment arrived at last. Miss Drummond handed the
exercise-books back to the monitress, and rose up. Aldred's trick had
answered only too well: the pattern of the cane seat was imprinted most
plainly upon the head mistress's handsome dress. As she turned for an
instant to consult the time-table, everybody noticed it, and a universal
gasp of horror passed round the room. Miss Webb blushed hotly, and
hesitated as if in doubt what to do; then, apparently plucking up her
courage, she nervously informed the unconscious Principal of the state
of affairs. Miss Drummond looked keenly first at the chair and then at
the girls.

"Who is responsible for this?" she asked, in a constrained voice.

There was no reply.

"I will give whoever has done it one more chance to confess."

Still Aldred held her peace.

"Very well! I am exceedingly sorry for the girl who is wilfully
concealing this; her own conscience will tell her how mean and
despicable is her conduct. I consider this an act of such silly
childishness and utter folly that in itself it is hardly worthy of my
notice; the worst fault by far is the moral cowardice of the girl who
has not the courage to own up, and offer an apology. It adds, I am
sorry to say, to the bad opinion of the class that I have already been
obliged to form. No, thank you, Miss Webb, there is no need to fetch a
clothes-brush; I will ask one of the servants to attend to my dress, and
to bring a wet cloth to wipe the chair before you use it yourself."

Aldred managed to avoid the other girls both at lunch-time and at
afternoon recreation, making Mabel's return an excuse for devoting
herself exclusively to her friend. She was most anxious not to be
questioned on the subject of the chair. She was afraid she might be
suspected of having played the trick, and did not see how she was to
shield herself without a point-blank denial. Greatly to her relief, a
bad cold from which she was suffering was pronounced influenza by Miss
Drummond, who promptly packed her off to the hospital. She was not very
ill, so it was a luxury to be an invalid for a few days, to miss
classes, preparation, and practising, and to sit by the fire with an
interesting book, and be fed up with beef-tea and jelly.

Mabel, who had completely recovered, was the only visitor allowed, a
matter for which Aldred was devoutly thankful.

"It's perfectly horrid in school just at present," said Mabel, who ran
up every afternoon to bring