."

There was dead silence for a moment. Lorraine's face was grim.

"Are you perfectly sure, Vivien?" asked Claudia.

"If you saw her, there's no more to be said," declared Lorraine
emphatically. "Monica must report herself here after four o'clock, and
we'll deal with the case as it deserves. Nellie, will you please take
her this message," rapidly scribbling the summons on a piece of
exercise-paper, "and tell her she's to come before going to the
cloak-room. Dorothy, would you mind fetching me the Guilds Register? I'm
going to cross off Monica's name. We can't have a liar in any of the
societies."

"Oh, Lorraine, stop! Don't condemn her unheard!" pleaded Claudia. "She
may have some excuse to offer."

"Qui s'excuse s'accuse!" returned Lorraine bitterly. "I'm afraid it's
only too plain."

"But _do_ let me try to find out! Don't be in such a dreadful hurry!
Wait a bit!"

"What's the use of waiting? It had better be done now!"

And Lorraine, with a firm hand, drew a thick ink line through the name
of Monica Forrester.

All through afternoon school Lorraine's head was in a whirl. The fact
that Monica was her sister made her the more ready to punish her
severely. No one should say that she showed favour to her own family.
After the crusade she had made for discipline, it was necessary to be
stern. And yet--Monica! She could not credit the child with telling a
lie. Naughty and wilful she had often been, but deceitful and untruthful
never. It was indeed a hard blow to be obliged to convict her of such
sneaking behaviour. Yet duty was duty, and Lorraine set her teeth. Just
before four o'clock Claudia asked permission from the mistress to leave
a few minutes earlier, and made her exit while Patsie was collecting the
essay books. Lorraine looked at her reproachfully, but of course could
make no comment before Miss Turner. Directly the latter had taken her
departure, there came a timid tap at the door, and Monica entered, a
white-faced little figure with big puzzled eyes.

"You sent for me?" she faltered.

"Yes, I did send for you," replied Lorraine grimly. "I want to ask you,
before all the monitresses, whether you were in the gym. this afternoon.
Give a straight answer, Monica!"

"I've told Vivien I wasn't."

"Do you stick to that?"

"Yes."

"But Vivien saw you!"

"So she says. Can't _you_ believe me, Lorraine?"

Monica's grey eyes were fixed full on her sister's face. There was a
quiver in her voice. Lorr