CHAPTER XIV

A RIDDLE IS SOLVED

Miss Julian was talking to Allison in the Principal's room. During periods when she was not taking a class, the Principal often sent for Allison to give her special coaching and to correct and set her studies. This Friday afternoon, however, the Principal was not discussing lessons. Her first words to Allison explained her purpose in sending for the Head Girl.

"Sit down, Allison, I wanted to speak to you about Monica."

"The subject's rather an interesting one, Miss Julian," replied Allison, smiling. "Is she better?"

"Yes, practically herself now. She is a highly strung, imaginative type of child, though, apt to exaggerate and to take things very much to heart. That has largely been the cause of the trouble, I believe."

"Has anything fresh come to light about that telegram, Miss Julian?"

The Principal nodded. "Yes. I was not in the least satisfied with my interview with the girl a week or so ago. She made no attempt to deny her part in the affair--confessed it quite frankly, in fact--but beyond a few bald statements I could get nothing out of her. I did not consider I knew enough either to condemn or acquit, and in order to get to the bottom of it I wrote a letter to the Principal of Fairhurst Priory School."

"What a splendid idea!" cried Allison, who was deeply interested and listening with close attention. "Have you had an answer yet?"

"Last Wednesday, by the afternoon post. The other girl, whose name is Lilian Dredge, confessed everything when taxed by her Principal. It appears that she is by no means the best type of girl we have in our schools. She professed to admire a girl like Monica, who openly defied authority, but she lacked the courage to follow her example except in little underhand ways that would not be judged with much severity even if discovered. She was the only girl willing to be friendly with Monica during her short stay at the school, the others shunning her because of her unfriendly, hostile disposition. Monica accepted this girl's professed friendship without caring in the least about it, and knowing perfectly well that it would last only as long as Lilian thought it to her advantage."

"Then it wasn't really friendship at all?"

"No, not really. Lilian is evidently the kind of girl--and there are such to be found in our schools, though happily they are rare--who takes little interest in anything belonging to school life except the games, and even though she cares for games she seems to lack the spirit of good sportsmanship which they are supposed to develop. She is a good hockey player, a member of the school eleven that had already won the shield two years in succession, and was able to make use of this skill of hers in courting a certain measure of popularity among the other girls. She was anxious for her team to win the shield this year, and after St. Etheldreda's defeated Stavely High School she regarded us as their most dangerous opponents and the only team the Priory really had to fear."

"That accounts for her letter, then?" interrupted Allison eagerly.

"Yes, she wrote that first letter to Monica, claiming her friendship and making flattering remarks about her clever ideas. I don't think Lilian had any crystallized plans--she was only fishing, as we say."

"And how did Monica reply?"

"At first she did not intend to reply at all. She had no desire to renew this semblance of a friendship that meant nothing to either girl. Later on, however, something happened; there was some sort of a quarrel between her and her study-mate, Nathalie Sandrich. I gather that Nathalie was angry and annoyed with her, and in the heat of the moment made some scathing remarks which Monica took very much to heart. As a result her preparation was neglected, leading to trouble next morning with Miss Bennett. In the bitterness of her spirit Monica employed the time which should have been spent at preparation in answering Lilian's letter. She relieved her feelings by saying in her reply that it would be an easy matter to spoil St. Etheldreda's chances by decoying you--Allison--away from the next match, by means of a bogus telegram summoning you home to London on account of illness. Everyone said that without you in the team St. Etheldreda's would fall to pieces. A feather in your cap, Allison!"

Allison blushed and laughed. "Oh, that's all nonsense!" she declared, then added: "Monica's idea wasn't very original, was it? It's been done so many times. Besides, she forgot there is such a thing as the telephone."

"Monica never really thought about it at all. She just put down the first thing that came into her head, with the idea of proving to Lilian what a simple task it was to anyone with brains."

Allison nodded. "I understand. Monica was just feeling sore and miserable, and not in a mood to care much what she said."

"That was it. However, it wasn't long before she and Nathalie made up their quarrel, and Monica thought no more of Lilian till she received an answer to her letter. Lilian was pleased at the idea of Monica 'putting a spoke in our wheel.' So much the better for her own team's chances, though she did not put it like that to Monica. The important point, as far as I am concerned, is that Monica was now settling down happily into our ways and getting quite keen on her school winning the shield. She promptly wrote back to Lilian to say that she was sorry if she had misled her, but she hadn't the least intention of interfering with the hockey team and, in fact, wished them all success. She had been silly enough to write that other letter when she had been in a miserable and 'don't-care' mood. The Principal enclosed this letter for me to read, for fortunately Lilian had not destroyed it. To do her justice, I think Lilian was rather ashamed when she heard that another girl had got into serious trouble through her own misdeeds."

"Then Lilian alone was responsible for that telegram?"

"Yes. She says she got a cousin who lived in London to send it."

"But why didn't Monica explain all this?" asked Allison, perplexed.

"Ah! that is harder to understand. As I said before, I could get little out of her beside a few bald answers to direct questions. Some people find it very hard to unburden themselves, you know--especially children. I think it was chiefly because Monica felt that the responsibility was partly hers, since she had deliberately put the idea into the other girl's mind, and was therefore equally to blame. An extraordinary point of view to take, of course, but that was how she regarded it."

"Anyway," Allison commented, "it shows pretty plainly that she isn't without a conscience or a sense of right and wrong."

"On the contrary, those qualities seem to be highly developed in Monica for a girl of her age."

"Then I suppose that ends the telegram affair?"

"Yes. I am glad we have got to the bottom of it so successfully. By the by, you did not join in the paper-chase last Wednesday, did you, Allison?"

"No, I did not like to spare the time, Miss Julian. It was very fortunate the well was not deep and was practically dry, wasn't it?"

"Yes, indeed. I shudder to think of what might have happened otherwise. As it was, it was remarkable that Nathalie escaped almost scot-free. I don't think anyone yet realizes the part Monica played there."

"The part Monica played?" repeated Allison inquiringly.

"Yes. I wanted to tell you of that also."

"But I thought we knew all about it?"

"Apparently not. Yesterday morning Miss Perkins came to me and told me Monica had passed a restless night. Evidently she had her previous day's experiences on her mind, for several times she cried out and muttered in her sleep, and each time about the water in the well and how cold it would be. Miss Perkins said she seemed to have a horror of falling into cold water."

"But the well was dry," interjected Allison.

"Yes, but Miss Perkins was sure that was what she kept saying. I saw Monica later in the day and told her I had received an answer to an inquiry I had sent to the Priory School. I was more successful at this attempt," Miss Julian smiled, "and in a short time I managed to win her confidence and learnt what I have just been telling you. I also gathered further details of Wednesday's misadventure; how Nat slipped into the well and how Monica slid down the rope after her almost immediately, in the belief that there was deep water below and that if Nat were injured by the fall she would quickly drown."

"I see!" cried Allison. "It was really an attempt on her part to save Nat's life."

"Yes. The rope was only a few yards long, and when she came to the end she had to make up her mind what to do. For the first time she dared to glance down and saw what she thought to be the glimmer of water below, though we know it was only the soft wet mud at the bottom. She was a good swimmer, but did not know if she would be strong enough to hold Nat up till help arrived. But it was the only chance of saving Nat--so she thought--and desperately frightened though she was, she let go of the rope and dropped, expecting to plunge into icy cold water."

Allison leaned forwards her eyes glowing. "That was a very plucky thing to do, Miss Julian, believing what she did."

"It was, indeed; the more so as she was extremely frightened. I am quite convinced that there is a good deal of splendid material in a girl who can behave like that."

"It seems as if she thinks rather a lot of Nat," Allison ventured.

"Yes. Nathalie seems to be the only girl in her form she cares anything at all about. She said to me quite frankly that if it had been anyone else but Nat in the well she doesn't think she would have had sufficient courage to drop from the rope."

Allison was silent, wondering if her words to Monica that September afternoon in the summer-house had helped to change Monica's opinion of Nat. But aloud she only said: "Monica wouldn't chum up with any of the girls in the Fifth at first. But Nat's a nice girl--and I think one of the finest characters in the Fifth, though she doesn't shine there very much. When she volunteered to have Monica in her study I said to myself that if this new girl couldn't get on with Nat she couldn't get on with anybody. I suppose there is no doubt about her behaviour at Fairhurst before she came here?"

"Oh no, none at all. She was absolutely defiant and seemed quite hardened."

"But why should she be? She hasn't been so here; unapproachable and moody, yes, and sometimes mischievous, but nothing worse."

"That was what I could not understand. Now that I know the cause it seems hardly credible that a child should be affected in such a peculiar way," and again Allison settled herself down in her chair to listen as the Principal went on talking.