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Oh, dear! she doesnt seem at all dull, said Miss West, a second-class girl. I do think shes a hardened little wretch.
Little you know about her, said Cecil, the colour fading out of her pale face. Then, after a pause, she added, The injustice of the whole thing is that in this treatment of Annie you break the spirit of Mrs Williss command you, none of you, certainly tell her that she is guilty, but you treat her as such.
Here Hester Thornton said a daring thing.
I dont believe Mrs Willis in her heart of hearts considers Annie guiltless.
These words of Hesters were laughed at by most of the girls, but Dora Russell gave her an approving nod, and Cecil, looking paler than ever, dropped suddenly into her seat, and no longer tried to defend her absent friend.
At any rate, said Miss Conway, who as the head girl of the whole school was always listened to with great respect. It is unfortunate for the success of our entertainment that there should be all this discussion and bad feeling with regard to Miss Forest. For my own part, I cannot make out why the poor little creature should be hunted down, or what affair it is of ours whether she is innocent or not. If Mr Everard and Mrs Willis says she is innocent, is not that enough? The fact of her guilt or innocence cant hurt us one way or another. It is a great pity, however, for our own sakes, that we should be out with her now, for, whatever her faults, she is the only one of us who is ever gifted with an original thought. But, as we cant have her, let us set to work without her we really cant waste the whole evening over this sort of talk.
Discussions as to the coming pleasure were now again resumed with vigour, and after a great deal of animated arguing it was resolved that two short plays should be acted; that a committee should be immediately formed, who should select the plays, and apportion their various parts to the different actors.
The committee selected included Miss Russell, Miss Conway, Hester Thornton, Cecil Temple, and two other girls of the second-class. The conference then broke up, but there was a certain sense of flatness over everything, and Cecil was not the only girl who sighed for the merry meetings of last year when Annie had been the life and soul of all the proceedings, and when one brilliant idea after another with regard to the costumes for the fancy ball had dropped from her merry tongue.
Chapter Twenty One Stealing Hearts
Well, my dear child, said the head-mistress in her kindest voice, where are you running to? But I suppose I must not ask; you are, of course, one of the busy and secret conclave in the South Parlour?
No. I have left them, said Annie, bending her head, and after her usual habit when agitated, shaking her hair about her face.
Left them? repeated Mrs Willis, you mean, dear, that they have sent you for some message.
No. I am not one of them. May I go into the garden, Mrs Willis?
Certainly, my dear.
Annie did not even glance at her governess. She pushed aside the baize door, and found herself in the great stone hall which led to the play-room and school-room. Her garden hat hung on a peg in the hall, and she tossed it off its place, and holding it in her hand ran toward the side door which opened directly into the garden. She had a wild wish to get to the shelter of the forsaken hammock and there cry out her whole heart. The moment she got into the open air, however, she was met by a whole troop of the little children, who were coming in after their usual short exercise before going to bed. Miss Danesbury was with them, and when Annie ran out by the open door, she entered holding two little ones by the hands. Last in this group toddled Hesters little sister Nan. The moment she saw Annie her little face broke into smiles; she held out two hands eagerly, and fled to the young girls side.
Where dat pitty toy? she said, raising her round face to Annies; some one did buy dat toy, and its vedy pitty, and me wants it wheres dat toy?
Annie stooped down, and spoke suddenly and impulsively to the little child.
You shall have the toy for your very own, Nan, if you will do something for me?
Nans baby eyes looked straight into Annies.
Me will, she said emphatically; me want dat toy.
Put your arms round me, little darling, and give me a
great, tight hug.
This request was great fun to Nan, who squeezed her little arms round Annies neck, and pressed her dimpled cheek to her lips.
Dere, she said triumphantly, will dat do?
Yes, you little treasure, and youll try to love me, wont you?
Me do, said Nan, in a solemn voice; but then Miss Danesbury called her, and she ran into the house.
As Nan trotted into the house she put up her dimpled hand to wipe something from her round cheek it was a tear which Annie Forest had left there.
Annie herself, when all the little ones had disappeared, walked slowly and sadly down toward the shady walk. The sun had just set, and though it was now nearly May, and the evenings long, the wind was sufficiently cold to cause Annie to shiver in her thin house frock. At all times utterly fearless with regard to her health, she gave it no thought now, but entering the walk where she knew she should not be disturbed, she looked up at the hammock, and wondered whether she should climb into it. She decided, however, not to do so the great and terrible weight of tears which had pressed close to her heart were relieved by Nans embrace; she no longer cared to cry until she could cry no longer the worst of her pain had been soothed by the sweet baby graciousness of the little one.