by L. T. Meade
walked across the room, singled Prissie out. She gaveher a swift glance, a brilliant and affectionate smile, and then stoodin such a position that neither Miss Eccleston nor Miss Heath couldcatch a glimpse of her.
Miss Eccleston, who had been speaking when Maggie entered the room, wasnow silent. She had a note-book in her hand, and was rapidly writingsomething in it with a pencil. Someone gave Maggie a rather severe prodon her elbow. Polly Singleton, tall, flushed, and heavy, stood close toher side.
"You'll stand up for me, won't you, Miss Oliphant?" whispered Polly.
Maggie raised her eyes, looked at the girl, who was even taller thanherself, and began to reply in her usual voice.
"Silence," said Miss Eccleston. She put down her note-book. "I wishfor no conversation between you at the present moment, young ladies.Good-evening, Miss Oliphant; I am pleased to see you here. I shall havea few questions to ask you in a minute. Now, Miss Singleton, if youplease, we will resume our conversation. You have confessed to the factof the auction. I wish now to ascertain what your motive was."
Poor Polly stammered and reddened, twisted her hands as badly as Prissieherself could have done, and looked to right and left of her in the mostbewildered and unhappy manner.
"Don't you hear me, Miss Singleton? I wish to know what your motive wasin having an auction in Katharine Hall," repeated Miss Eccleston.
"Tell her the truth," whispered Maggie.
Polly, who was in a condition to catch even at a straw for support,said, falteringly--
"I had the auction in my room because of dad." Miss Eccleston raisedher brows. The amused smile of sorrow round Miss Heath's mouth becamemore marked. She came forward a few steps, and stood near MissEccleston.
"You must explain yourself, Miss Singleton," repeated the latter lady.
"Do tell everything," said Maggie, again.
"Dad is about the only person I hate vexing," began Polly once more."He is awfully rich, but he hates me to get into debt, and--and--therewas no other way to raise money. I couldn't tell dad--I--_couldn't_keep out of debt, so I had to sell my things."
"You have made a very lame excuse, Miss Singleton," said Miss Eccleston,after a pause. "You did something which was extremely irregular andimproper. Your reason for doing it was even worse than the thingitself. You were in debt. The students of St Benet's are not expectedto be in debt."
"But there's no rule against it," suddenly interrupted Maggie.
"Hush! your turn to speak will come presently. You know, MissSingleton--all the right-minded girls in this college know--that we dealin principles, not rules. Now, please go on with your story."
Polly's broken and confused narrative continued for the next fiveminutes. There were some titters from the girls behind her--even MissHeath smiled faintly. Miss Eccleston alone remained grave anddispleased.
"That will do," she said at last. "You are a silly and rash girl, andyour only possible defence is your desire to keep the knowledge of yourextravagance from your father. Your love for him, however, has nevertaught you true nobility. Had you that even in the most shadowy degree,you would abstain from the things which he detests. He gives you anample allowance. Were you a school-girl and I your mistress, I shouldpunish you severely for your conduct."
Miss Eccleston paused. Polly put her handkerchief up to her eyes andbegan to sob loudly.
"Miss Oliphant," said Miss Eccleston, "will you please account for thefact that you, who are looked up to in this college, you who are one ofour senior students, and for whom Miss Heath has a high regard, tookpart in the disgraceful scenes which occurred in Miss Singleton's roomon Monday evening?"
"I shall certainly tell you the truth," retorted Maggie. She paused fora moment. Then, the colour flooding her cheeks, and her eyes lookingstraight before her, she began--
"I went to Miss Singleton's room knowing that I was doing wrong. Ihated to go, and did not take the smallest interest in the proceedingswhich were being enacted there." She paused again. Her voice, whichhad been slightly faltering, grew a little firmer. Her eyes met MissHeath's, which were gazing at her in sorrowful and amazed surprise.Then she continued--"I did not go alone. I took another and perfectlyinnocent girl with me. She is a newcomer, and this is her first term.She would naturally be led by me, and I wish therefore to exonerate hercompletely. Her name is Priscilla Peel. She did not buy anything, andshe hated being there even more than I did, but I took her hand andabsolutely forced her to come with me."
"Did you buy anything at the auction, Miss Oliphant?"
"Yes, a sealskin jacket."
"Do you mind telling me what you paid for it?"
"Ten guineas."
"Was that, in your opinion, a fair price for the jacket?"
"The jacket was worth a great deal more. The price I paid for it wasmuch below its value."
Miss Eccleston made some further notes in her book. Then she looked up.
"Have you anything more to say, Miss Oliphant?"
"I could say more. I could make you think even worse of me than you nowthink, but as any further disclosures of mine would bring another girlinto trouble I would rather not speak."
"You are certainly not forced to speak. I am obliged to you for thecandour with which you have treated me."
Miss Eccleston then turned to Miss Heath, and said a few words to her ina low voice. Her words were not heard by the anxiously listening girls,but they seemed to displease Miss Heath, who shook her head; but MissEccleston held very firmly to her own opinion. After a pause of a fewminutes, Miss Heath came forward and addressed the young girls who wereassembled before her.
"The leading spirit of this college," she said, "is almost perfectimmunity from the bondage of rules. The Principals of these Halls havefully trusted the students who reside in them, and relied on theirhonour, their rectitude, their sense of sound principle. Hitherto wehave had no reason to complain that the spirit of absolute trust whichwe have shown has been abused; but the circumstance which has justoccurred has given Miss Eccleston and myself some pain."
"It has surprised us; it has given us a blow," interrupted MissEccleston.
"And Miss Eccleston feels," proceeded Miss Heath, "and perhaps she isright, that the matter ought to be laid before the college authorities,who will decide what are the best steps to be taken."
"You don't agree with that view, do you, Miss Heath?" asked MaggieOliphant suddenly.
"At first I did not. I leant to the side of mercy. I thought you mightall have learnt a lesson in the distress which you have caused us, andthat such an occurrence could not happen again."
"Won't Miss Eccleston adopt your views?" questioned Maggie. She glancedround at her fellow-students as she spoke.
"No--no," interrupted Miss Eccleston. "I cannot accept theresponsibility. The college authorities must decide the matter."
"Remember," said Maggie, stepping forward a pace or two, "that we are nochildren. If we were at school you ought to punish us, and, of course,you would. I _hate_ what I have done, and I own it frankly. But youcannot forget, Miss Eccleston, that no girl here has broken a rule whenshe attended the auction, and bought Miss Singleton's things; and thateven Miss Singleton has broken no rule when she went in debt."
There was a buzz of applause and even a cheer from the girls in thebackground. Miss Eccleston looked angry, but perplexed. Miss Heathagain turned and spoke to her. She replied in a low tone. Miss Heathsaid something further. At last Miss Eccleston sat down, and Miss Heathcame forward and addressed Maggie Oliphant.
"Your words have been scarcely respectful, Miss Oliphant," she said,"but there is a certain justice in them which my friend, Miss Eccleston,is the first to admit. She has consented, therefore, to defer her finaldecision for twenty-four hours; at the end of that time the students ofKatharine Hall and Heath Hall will know what we finally decide to do."
After the meeting in Miss Eccleston's drawing-room the affair of theauction assumed enormous proportions. There was no oth
er topic ofconversation. The students took sides vigorously in the matter: thegay, giddy, and careless ones voting the auction a rare bit of fun, andupholding those who had taken part in it with all their might and main.The more sober and high-minded girls, on the other hand, took MissHeath's and Miss Eccleston's views of the matter. The principles of thecollege had been disregarded, the spirit of order had been broken; debt,which was disgraceful, was made light of. These girls felt that thetone of St Benet's was lowered. Even Maggie Oliphant sank in theirestimation. A few went to the length of saying that they could nolonger include her in their set.
Katharine Hall, the scene of the auction
