Meade L. T. - A World of Girls: The Story of a School стр 27.

No, sir, I have nothing to say, replied Annie, and now again the sullen expression passed like a wave over her face.

Poor child, said Mr Everard. Perhaps, Annie, he continued, you do not quite understand me you do not quite read my motive in talking to you to-night. I am not here in any sense to reprove you. You are either guilty of this sin, or you are not guilty. In either case I pity you; it is very hard, very bitter, to be falsely accused I pity you much if this is the case; but it is still harder, Annie, still more bitter, still more absolutely crushing to be accused of a sin which we are trying to conceal. In that terrible case God Himself hides His face. Poor child, poor child, I pity you most of all if you are guilty.

Annie had again covered her face, and bowed her head over her hands. She did not speak for a moment, but presently Mr Everard heard a low sob, and then another, and another, until at last her whole frame was shaken with a perfect tempest of weeping.

The old clergyman, who had seen many strange phases of human nature, who had in his day comforted and guided more than one young school-girl, was far too wise to do anything to check this flow of grief. He knew Annie would speak more fully and more frankly when her tears were over. He was right. She presently raised a very tear-stained face to the clergyman.

I felt very bitter at your coming to speak to me, she began. Mrs Willis has always sent for you when everything else has failed with us girls, and I did not think she would treat me so. I was determined not to say anything to you. Now, however, you have spoken good words to me, and I cant turn away from you. I will tell you all that is in my heart. I will promise before God to conceal nothing, if only you will do one thing for me.

What is that, my child?

Will you believe me?

Undoubtedly.

Ah, but you have not been tried yet. I thought Mrs Willis would certainly believe; but she said the circumstantial evidence was too strong perhaps it will be too strong for you.

I promise to believe you, Annie Forest; if, before God, you can assure me that you are speaking the whole truth, I will fully believe you.

Annie paused again, then she rose from her seat and stood a pace away from the old minister.

This is the truth before God, she said, as she locked her two hands together and raised her eyes freely and unshrinkingly to Mr Everards face.

I have always loved Mrs Willis. I have reasons for loving her which the girls dont know about. The girls dont know that when my mother was dying she gave me into Mrs Williss charge, and she said, You must keep Annie until her father comes back. Mother did not know where father was; but she said he would be sure to come back some day, and look for mother and me: and Mrs Willis said she would keep me faithfully until father came to claim me. That is four years ago, and my father has never come, nor have I heard of him, and I think, I am almost sure, that the little

money which mother left must be all used up. Mrs Willis never says anything about money, and she did not wish me to tell my story to the girls. None of them know except Cecil Temple. I am sure some day father will come home, and he will give Mrs Willis back the money she has spent on me; but never, never, never can he repay her for her goodness to me. You see I cannot help loving Mrs Willis. It is quite impossible for any girl to have such a friend and not to love her. I know I am very wild, and that I do all sorts of mad things. It seems to me that I cannot help myself sometimes: but I would not willingly, indeed, I would not willingly hurt anybody. Last Wednesday, as you know, there was a great disturbance in the school. Dora Russells desk was tampered with, and so was Cecil Temples. You know, of course, what was found in both the desks. Mrs Willis sent for me, and asked me about the caricature which was drawn in Cecils book. I looked at it and I told her the truth. I did not conceal one thing. I told her the whole truth as far as I knew it. She did not believe me. She said so. What more could I do then?

Here Annie paused, she began to unclasp and clasp her hands, and she looked full at Mr Everard with a most pleading expression.

Do you mind repeating to me exactly what you said to your governess? he questioned.

I said this, sir. I said, Yes, Mrs Willis, I did draw that caricature. You will scarcely understand how I, who love you so much, could have been so mad and ungrateful as to do anything to turn you into ridicule. I would cut off my right hand now not to have done it; but I did do it, and I must tell you the truth. Tell me, dear, she said, quite gently then. It was one wet afternoon about a fortnight ago, I said to her; a lot of us middle-school-girls were sitting together, and I had a pencil and some bits of paper, and I was making up funny little groups of a lot of us, and the girls were screaming with laughter, for somehow I managed to make the likeness that I wanted in each case. It was very wrong of me, I know. It was against the rules; but I was in one of my maddest humours, and I really do not care what the consequences were. At last one of the girls said: You wont dare to make a picture like that of Mrs Willis, Annie you know you wont dare. The minute she said that name I began to feel ashamed. I remembered I was breaking one of the rules, and I suddenly tore up all my bits of paper and flung them into the fire, and I said, No, I would not dare to show her dishonour. Well, afterwards, as I was washing my hands for tea up in my room, the temptation came over me so strongly that I felt I could not resist it, to make a funny little sketch of Mrs Willis. I had a little scrap of thin paper, and I took out my pencil and did it all in a minute. It seemed to me very funny, and I could not help laughing at it; and then I thrust it into my private writing-case, which I always keep locked, and I put the key in my pocket and ran downstairs. I forgot all about the caricature. I had never shown it to anyone. How it got into Cecils book is more than I can say. When I had finished speaking Mrs Willis looked very hard at the book. You are right, she said; this caricature is drawn on a very thin piece of paper, which has been cleverly pasted on the title-page. Then, Mr Everard, she asked me a lot of questions. Had I ever parted with my keys? Had I ever left my desk unlocked? No, I said, my desk is always locked, and my keys are always in my pocket. Indeed, I added, my keys were absolutely safe for the last week, for they went in a white petticoat to the wash, and came back as rusty as possible. I could not open my desk for a whole week, which was a great nuisance. I told all this story to Mrs Willis, and she said to me, You are positively certain that this caricature has been taken out of your desk by somebody else, and pasted in here? You are sure that the caricature you drew is not to be found in your desk? Yes, I said; how can I be anything but sure; these are my pencil marks, and that is the funny little turn I gave to your neck which made me laugh when I drew it. Yes; I am certainly sure.