THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SUMMER TERM
IT was the first Saturday afternoon of the summer term, and the
boarders at Helmsford College, with a few of the day-scholars, were
spending it in the College grounds, amusing themselves in various
ways, the majority playing games whilst the less energetic girls sat
talking or reading on the seats which were placed in shady spots
commanding views of the tennis courts and croquet lawn.
Agnes Hosking had been engaged in a set of tennis, but it had come
to an end, and she now sought a seat with the intention of resting
after her exertions. Looking about her she caught sight of Arm Reed
and Clara Garret together, and went to join them. They politely made
room for her between them on the seat on which they were sitting, and
Clara remarked:—
"We've been watching you, Agnes; you play tennis remarkably well.
I suppose you must have had a great deal of practice?"
"Oh, yes," Agnes rejoined, her expression one of gratification,
"I used to belong to a tennis club at Streatham last year, and I've
played a great deal these holidays."
"Did you visit your grandmother at Bath?" inquired Ann.
"Yes, for ten days. The remainder of the holidays I spent at home."
"I wonder if you saw anything of Violet's people?" said Ann; "they
live near you, do they not?"
"Fairly near. I saw Ruth and Madge Wyndham—I met them, in fact, but I
didn't speak to them. They seemed to wish to avoid speaking to me,
which was not surprising—considering all things." And Agnes smiled
enigmatically.
"Considering all things?" echoed Ann; "I don't understand what you
mean. I have heard, though, that you used not to get on well with Ruth
Wyndham," she continued, with a touch of coldness in her tone, "Violet
told me that."
"Did she?" Agnes looked slightly taken aback for a minute, then she
went on: "We were never friends, certainly; we had nothing in common.
The fact is, Ruth Wyndham is one of those reserved, proud sort of
girls who make few friends. And what has she to be proud of, I should
like to know? She is not bad looking, I admit; but she's always
shabbily dressed, and I hear that, now she's left school, they make a
regular drudge of her at home."
"How hard for her!" exclaimed Clara Garret, pityingly. "Are the
Wyndhams so very poor, then, Ann? I did not know that."
"Oh, they are poor enough," Agnes returned quickly, though she was not
the one addressed; "they live in a small villa and only keep one
servant—I saw her cleaning the doorstep one day and she was such an
untidy creature!—and Mrs. Wyndham wears gowns seasons old, and looks
as though she had the cares of the world on her shoulders."
"Somehow I never thought of Violet Wyndham's people as poor," said
Clara, her countenance showing plainly her great surprise.
"She looks flourishing, doesn't she?" said Agnes, with a sarcastic
smile. "Look at her now! Hear her laughing!"
Violet was playing tennis, and, as Agnes spoke, her clear laugh rang
out full of merriment. In her plain blue serge skirt and white blouse,
with her luxuriant brown hair waving over her shoulders, and her face
aglow with enjoyment, she made a very attractive picture, and Clara
exclaimed, with genuine admiration:
"How lovely she is! Yes, really lovely with that bright colour in her
cheeks and her sparkling brown eyes! I coil her one of the prettiest
girls in the school, and she has such a winning way with her, too.
My grandmother was quite charmed with her that day you brought her
to see us, Ann."
"I am glad of that," Ann said, looking very pleased; "most people like
Violet. We are all very fond of her at home."
"By the way, is it true that your father is paying her fees for her
education here?" asked Agnes, bluntly, her gaze fixed with undisguised
curiosity upon Ann.
Ann started and coloured. Her eyes had been following Violet's
movements, but now she turned them upon Agnes, and looked her straight
in the face.
"Had you not better inquire of Miss Orchardson?" she said, her voice
betraying the annoyance she felt; "not that I think Miss Orchardson
would gratify your ill-bred curiosity any more than I intend to do,"
she added scornfully.
"Well, don't be angry at my asking you, I meant no harm," Agnes
faltered; "you are so touchy." She was secretly furious because Ann
had called her question ill-bred, but she was most undesirous of
having a serious fall out with her. "They say at home that your father
is providing for Violet Wyndham and educating her at his own expense,"
she continued, "and, if he is, I call it most kind and generous of
him, for she must cost him a pretty penny. But I much doubt if she's
as grateful as she ought to be. She thinks too much of herself—all the
Wyndhams do. You may call her one of the prettiest girls in the
school, Clara, but 'handsome is as handsome does,' and you know my
opinion of Violet Wyndham!" So saying, she rose, laughed disagreeably
and meaningly, and marched away.
"What does she intend us to understand by that?" asked Ann,
in bewilderment, glancing inquiringly at her companion who was looking
very distressed; "what does she mean?"
"I—I don't know," stammered Clara, the colour flooding her usually
pale cheeks. "Oh, dear me, that's not true," she said, as she met the
direct gaze of the other's honest eyes, "but I hate to tell you about
it. How can Agnes be so horrid and—and ungenerous! She's jealous
of Violet because she's better looking and more popular than herself."
"What are you talking of, Clara?" questioned Ann, her bewilderment
deepening; "what is there to tell me? I must know. Come, do speak
out."
"I wonder you didn't hear it last term!" exclaimed Clara, in agitated
tones. "Cicely and I thought of telling you in the holidays, we
thought you ought to know, but—but—"
"I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about,"
Ann declared, "please do explain. It has something to do with Violet
and Agnes Hosking, I suppose?"
"Yes. Agnes suspects Violet of — oh, you mustn't think that either
Cicely or I believe it—of having taken her purse."
For a few minutes there was dead silence after this. Every vestige
of colour had left Ann's face, and she appeared too shocked to speak.
She sat quite still, staring straight in front of her, seeing nothing;
but, by-and-by, she turned her eyes upon her companion again and said
in a trembling voice:—
"Tell me all you know."
"I will," Clara responded, "though there's really little to tell.
Agnes says that Violet had a better opportunity of taking her purse
than anyone else, for she saw her put it into her muff and she was the
last to leave your bedroom when you three went downstairs after Miss
Wilcocks had arrived. Was that so?"
"Yes," assented Ann, after a brief reflection.
"Well, Agnes thinks that Violet probably saw the purse drop out of her
muff on to the bed and remained behind to secure it—"
"It is cruel and wicked of Agnes to suggest such a thing!" Ann broke
in, passionately. "What good would the purse be to Violet? She could
never use it!"
"No, of course she could not; but there was a sovereign in it, and
several shillings, and—oh, don't look at me so reproachfully! Do you
imagine that I suspect Violet of being a thief, too? No, no, indeed I
do not! Both Cicely and I like her and trust her, let me assure you of
that."
"Do many of the girls believe this story against her, Clara?"
"Well, some do, but a great many do not. I daresay she'll never hear
it herself; I'm sure I hope she won't, for it would make her very
unhappy. Is it really true that her people are so poor?"
"They have been rather badly off, hitherto; but it will be different
for them in future, if all goes well. Mr. Wyndham has lately accepted
a very good appointment as editor of one of the best paying papers in
London."
"Oh, I am glad!" Clara exclaimed heartily; "I suppose Agnes does not
know that?"
"I expect not. Oh, Clara, I am so grieved at what you have told me!
I don't know what I ought to do about it."
"I am afraid there is nothing to be done," returned Clara, with a
grave shake of her head.
"I am really afraid there is not," agreed Ann. "It has often crossed
my mind that Agnes might suspect one of our servants of having taken
her purse, and that was bad enough, but this—oh, this is dreadful!
I call it positively wicked to speak of a suspicion, specially one
based on such slight grounds. I wonder if I had better speak to Agnes
about it?"
"I should not; I should let her go. She does not actually say that
Violet has stolen her purse, only that she suspects her of having done
so, and she says she has a right to think what she likes. My opinion
is that she did not mean this story, which she has trumped up against
Violet, to become so generally known, for she told it as a secret in
the first place; of course it did not remain a secret long, then she
got frightened—I know she did because she tried to hush the matter
up—but she couldn't take back her words. She allowed her temper to get
the better of her discretion when she spoke of Violet as she did just
now."
"Do you think she really suspects Violet of having stolen her purse?"
asked Ann; and the expression of deep concern and anxiety on her face
was intensified as her companion nodded assent.
At that point their conversation was interrupted by Violet herself,
who joined them in the best of spirits. She and her partner had won
the set of tennis they had been playing, and she was pleased and
triumphant on that account. With her customary quickness she noticed
that both Ann and Clara looked embarrassed, and she jumped to the
conclusion that they had been talking about her, and, in consequence,
when she and Ann were walking home together, a half hour later, she
said:—
"I saw Agnes Hosking sitting with you and Clara—she has scarcely
deigned to notice me this term, by the way—and I thought she appeared
to be watching me and discussing me, was she? I always feel uneasy
when her eyes are upon me."
"Why?" asked Ann, quickly, with a keen glance at her companion.
"Well, I hardly know why, but I think it is because she has such a
malicious tongue and I'm rather afraid of it," was the reply.
"I cannot imagine why you should be," Ann said, in a troubled tone,
"but I remember you seemed quite upset the first day of last term when
you found Agnes was at Helmsford College; afterwards, though, you
appeared to get on with her fairly well. Has she been disagreeable to
you in any way lately?"
"No, oh, no! She has taken no notice of me this term, as I told you
just now, but I am always afraid she will set the girls against me,
I know she is quite capable of doing that. In some way or other I must
have put her out, for, though I've spoken to her twice, she hasn't
answered me; but I can't think what I have done to offend her.
I'm sure I've done all I can to please her—even to getting you to ask
her to tea."
"I wish you had not done that!" Ann exclaimed involuntarily.
"So do I," Violet responded, with a sigh.
There was a brief pause during which Ann studied her companion's
countenance with troubled eyes. Why did Violet appear so uneasy?
Oh, surely Agnes' suspicion of her could not be correct. Ann put the
thought away, and blamed herself for having admitted it into her mind
for a moment, but it returned when Violet, speaking in a low,
hesitating voice, went on to say:—
"You don't know what a weak character I am, Ann; if you did you'd
despise me, I'm sure. I can't think of that afternoon Agnes Hosking
came to tea with us without the bitterest regret and humiliation."
"Oh, Violet," faltered Ann, "won't you explain to me what you mean?"
"I can't now, perhaps I may some day," Violet answered; and after that
she changed the conversation.
During the remainder of the day, and for many days subsequently, Ann
was in a most unhappy frame of mind, whilst, for the first time in her
life, she shrank from taking her mother into her confidence.
On hearing from Clara Garret of the tale against Violet, which was
being whispered throughout the school, she had utterly disbelieved
in the possibility of its truth; but Violet, by her words and mariner,
had caused an ugly doubt to enter her mind.
Had Violet been assailed by a sudden temptation and given way to it?
Then, believing she had been sending home part of her pocket-money
to Ruth, Ann began to ask herself where she had procured the money
to purchase the tennis racquet which she had bought on the first day
of the term. Poor Ann was very wretched indeed, for she had grown
to love Violet with a deep, sisterly affection, and it was the keenest
pain to doubt her integrity.
Meanwhile, Violet was becoming conscious that the manner of many
of her school-fellows had changed towards her. The Garrets remained
as friendly as ever; but several of her class-mates treated her with
decided coolness, whilst Agnes Hosking never spoke to her at all.
And then she found out that the circumstances under which she was
living with the Reeds and was being educated at Helmsford College had
become public property, and she put down the difference in the
behaviour of the girls to that fact; no doubt Agnes had informed them
that she was being educated by charity, she thought bitterly. If she
had taken Ann into her confidence at this time much unhappiness might
have been saved, but she did nothing of the kind; and Ann, observing
that something was weighing on Violet's mind, grew more and more
troubled herself. Thus the commencement of the summer term was
overshadowed for the two girls.