THE RICHOTER SCIENCE PRIZE
Everybody at Easthampton, new girls and old, knew all about the
Richoter Science Prize. That and the Essay Medal were the
"scholastic plums" of the year, as Hilary said. This year Salome,
the head prefect of Sheerston's, was undoubtedly the favourite for
the science prize. But a good deal of excitement was aroused when
Duane, after returning from a rather mysterious interview with the
Principal, announced somewhat lugubriously that Miss St. Leger
strongly advised her to enter for the Richoter, and that Miss Vacher
spoke highly of her natural ability at the subject and considered
that she had a very good chance, if she did her best, of winning the
prize.
The other Carslake heroes naturally thought this a brilliant notion
on the part of the Principal. Their house would now have a candidate
to represent it, and if, by any chance, Duane managed to win the
prize, what a triumph for Carslake's! They solemnly assured their
doleful-looking head prefect that they would help her as much as they
possibly could.
The Upper Fifth, as a whole, freely gave their opinions on this new
entry for the Richoter. Duane, they said, though a slacker, was
undoubtedly clever at some things, and would be a worthy opponent for
Salome and Eileen Gilbert and the other five or six candidates.
Whereupon Kitty, her enthusiasm for her house catching fire from that
of the girls of Sheerston's, Prince's and Green's, called out in her
clear, decided way, a remark which she would afterwards have given
worlds to have left unsaid, though it meant little or nothing at the
time.
"Duane will be something more than a worthy opponent to your girls.
She's going to win that prize, and we're going to use every means in
our power to bring it off. You mark my words."
"I say, Kitty," remonstrated Hilary, a little later, "you needn't be
so deadly certain that Duane will win the Richoter."
Kitty laughed. "When I hear the other houses boasting that one of
their own girls is practically sure of the prize, I simply have to up
and boast a bit for our poor old house. No one else will."
"Oh yes, that's all right. Only if Duane doesn't get it, you'll be
twitted no end," warned Hilary.
"Pooh! I can stand that. Besides, Duane isn't going to lose. Why,
this is Carslake's Great Opportunity!" Several other girls, passing
by, caught the last two sentences and smiled, half amusedly, half
curiously, at Kitty's emphatic words and tone.
There were only three weeks before the exam, but as all students
know, quite a lot of swotting can be done in three weeks if it
doesn't matter about neglecting other things. The Carslake seniors
were as good as their word. "Even better," as Duane remarked dryly,
to which Margaret said reproachfully, "Why, I do believe we're more
enthusiastic over it than you are!"
"Especially Kitty," returned Duane, with a half-mocking,
half-quizzical glance at Kitty that made her flush hotly.
The other prefects, Hilary and France, willingly took upon themselves
disciplinary duties which usually fell to the head prefect's lot, in
order to give her more time for study. Kitty industriously copied
out lists of game practices, weekly reports, notices of sports or
debate meetings, and similar things which were part of the head
girl's routine, while much of Duane's ordinary preparation was
excused. All this help was accepted by the head prefect readily
enough, until it came to assistance in early morning rising. Hilary
and Kitty held themselves responsible for seeing that she was out of
bed ten minutes before rising bell, dressed by the time the bell
rang, and ready for three-quarters of an hour's hard study before
breakfast. To this Duane most strongly objected, using the passive
form of resistance, and it says much for the patience and firmness of
Hilary and Kitty that, right up to the exam itself, Duane was
downstairs every morning soon after the rising bell.
It must be admitted, however, that to achieve this record, Hilary had
to resort to a novel stratagem suggested by Kitty's fertile brain.
This was the innocent plan of tying one end of a piece of cord round
Duane's ankle after she was in bed, and letting the other end hang by
Hilary's bedside. Thus a good strong pull from Hilary woke Duane
effectually from slumber. This worked very well the first couple of
mornings, but on the third Duane declined to get out of bed merely
because her leg was jerked. Whereupon Kitty and Hilary attached
another cord, to the victim's arm this time, with the satisfactory
result that next morning an extremely vigorous pull on both cords
jerked her right out of bed and landed her amid a heap of tumbled
bedclothes upon the floor, where she was not allowed to remain for
long.
Carslake affairs, however, though much improved, were not yet
progressing with the smoothness of well-oiled machinery. The fiery
Peggy and her devoted satellites were frequently coming into
collision with the prefects, and after one such incident, Peggy,
brooding over the lines she had been set that morning, was not
mistress of her temper at cricket practice in the afternoon and
disputed Duane's verdict of l.b.w. against her. The head prefect's
temper was also strained by the unusual amount of work she was doing
just before the Richoter, and her customary imperturbable
indifference was ruffled and disturbed.
"I'm acting as umpire," she said sharply. "You had better get off
the field if you don't agree with my decision."
Peggy looked at her, flushing with resentment. "What do you mean,
Duane?"
"Mean? What I say. Either accept my verdict or else clear off the
field."
Peggy's hot flush faded.
"If I go now I'll never, never play in a match again if you're
captaining the team," she said, in a voice that trembled with anger
and humiliation. Duane shrugged her shoulders indifferently.
"Please yourself. Your services aren't indispensable," she returned,
coldly.
Peggy dropped her bat and walked off defiantly. Little Erica Salter,
with a glance of mingled fury and reproach at Duane for treating her
idol thus, rushed off the field after her retreating figure. The
juniors looked at each other uncomfortably, several being obviously
inclined to follow her example. Then Kitty sang out cheerily, "Come
along! Who's going in next? It's my turn to bowl, and I hate
wasting time, you know." The girls turned to her with relief, and
for the rest of the time it was Kitty's personality which dominated
the game, while Duane stood silently watching.
A little later, coming down the passage in her unhurried way, Duane
nearly ran into Erica. The child's face was flushed and her eyes
bright. She looked very pretty and childish as she planted herself
in front of the head prefect. The latter had perforce to stop too.
"Why, Erica," she said, "do you want anything?"
"No," replied the child, fixing her bright eyes on the tall figure of
the head prefect and clenching her little hands. "Only--only to tell
you that I think you're simply hateful."
"And why, pray, this flattering opinion of me?" inquired Duane
lazily, with a smile.
"Oh, you can laugh," said Erica, stamping her foot angrily. "But I
think you were simply horrid to Peggy this afternoon and I hate you
for it. I hope you'll have something nasty happen to you some day,
and then p'r'aps you'll be sorry you've been so nasty to other
people."
"Peggy will get over it all right in a day or two. She'll be quite a
nice girl in a couple of years, when she's rubbed off the edges.
Don't worry your head over her--or me either. Go along and play with
your dolls."
"Dolls!" said Erica, scornfully. "I don't play with dolls now. I'm
much too big."
Duane looked down at her with a sudden twinkle in her eyes. "You're
not very big though. But I do believe you're the prettiest little
kid in the school."
She stooped suddenly, caught the child impulsively in her arms and
kissed her. Erica indignantly struggled free and ran off down the
passage as hard as she could. Ten minutes later, Duane, with
wrinkled brows, was plunged deep in a last skim through a chapter on
chlorine, Peggy and such minor disturbances completely forgotten.
The examination opened with two written papers on the first day. The
second day was devoted to the more important half of the exam, the
practical work. The laboratory was given over entirely to the use of
the candidates; balances had been carefully cleaned and adjusted, as
all knew that accurate results depended very largely upon accurate
weighing and measuring; everything else that would be required had
been put in order.
Just after half-past twelve the candidates came trooping out in a
body, Miss Vacher, looking intensely important, bringing up the rear
and locking the door. They were met in the hall by a large crowd of
girls who were eager to know what they had been doing, but inquiries
for details only resulted in the victims walking off arm-in-arm with
their own particular chums.
"Oh, don't ask any more questions," begged Eileen. "Give us a rest
till we go back to it this afternoon. Yes, Gwen, we're working three
at a bench. I'm at the one just inside the door, in the middle, with
Salome on my right and Duane on my left. In good company, you see.
No, we're only allowed to speak to Miss Vacher."
Meanwhile Duane, accompanied by the Carslake seniors, went off to her
study, where she dropped into the easy-chair with an air of fatigue,
while the others disposed themselves on the table and such chairs as
the little room possessed.
"We don't begin again till half-past two, one comfort," said Duane
dreamily. "Give us plenty of time to digest our dinners. I hope the
analysis of my compound works out right."
"Let us know if it does, won't you?" said France eagerly.
"Oh, certainly," replied Duane. "I believe mine will come right,"
she added reflectively. "I've a sort of feeling it will."
"In your bones, I presume," suggested Kitty maliciously. Kitty was
always rubbed up the wrong way by Duane's airy manner of treating
even serious things.
"That's just it," assented Duane at once. "Only I hope," anxiously,
"it won't turn out to be rheumatism after all."
Kitty laughed. "Scored off me there," she said frankly. "Hallo,
who's this?"
"This" proved to be a junior from one of the other houses.
"If you please, Duane," she said, "I've come from Miss Vacher. She
wants a pipette out of the laboratory at once. I think she's doing
some experimental work in her room and she said, as you had the key,
would you mind fetching a pipette for her? She hopes it won't be
troubling you, and I'll take it back with me."
"Why on earth has Washer given the key to you, Cato?" asked France,
looking surprised.
"To mind it for her," replied Duane, with a laugh. "You know what a
bother there was last year when poor old Washer lost the key in the
dinner-hour, and how eventually they had to break open the door and
get in. Washer was dreadfully upset and didn't want a repetition of
it this year, so she handed the key over to me after we got outside,
and asked me to keep it till we went in again this afternoon."
There was a general laugh at Duane's explanation. Inside the
laboratory Miss Vacher was as keen and as capable as Miss St. Leger
herself. Away from science, she was the most hopelessly
absent-minded person it was possible to imagine. She kept an army of
small girls constantly employed looking around for her possessions.
However, everybody seemed to take the explanation for granted, though
Kitty _did_ think that the science mistress's eccentricities were
responsible for a state of affairs that was not quite what it should
be. Still, it was certainly not her place to say so.
Duane was eyeing the small messenger ruefully. "Oh, bother Miss
Vacher! What on earth does she want a pipette for just before
dinner! It isn't soup day. I'm so comfortably settled too, and
having a few minutes' rest. I say, kid, if I gave you the key,
couldn't you slip along and get it?"
The girl looked doubtful. "Better go yourself, Duane," advised
Hilary. "You know the lab's out of bounds to-day for us folk. I
shouldn't send a junior, in case of an accident."
"No, I suppose not," agreed Duane. "I shouldn't like to get anyone
into trouble. Still, it's an awful bore," and she yawned as she
spoke.
"I'll go if you like," Kitty volunteered. "I know where the pipettes
are kept--over by the window--and it won't take me a minute."
"Thanks ever so much," said Duane. "You're a brick. Here's the key.
Of course, there's no need to advise you to give a wide berth to our
experiments."
"Of course not," replied Kitty. "I shan't go near the benches. I'll
be back in a tick." She disappeared with a nod, and in a few minutes
returned and handed over pipette and key to Duane, who slipped the
key into her pocket and gave the pipette to the junior. "Here you
are. Trot it along--with Duane's love--and don't smash it on the
way. Be sure you don't forget the love."
"Vacher was always rather smitten with you," remarked Bertha with a
grin. "Now, any of the others would have handed the key over to
Salome. She's your senior really."
"Yes, queer taste on Washer's part, isn't it?" returned Duane
complacently.
"Very," said France, bursting into a laugh. "However, you make a
very well-matched pair."
"Yes, I suppose you're thinking that opposites meet," replied Duane,
undisturbed. "There's only one thing in which Washer and I are
alike."
"What's that?"
"Our genius for science."
"Well, let's hope your genius will pull off the Richoter for you,"
put in Kitty. "Then Carslake's can crow for once in its life.
There's the dinner bell. You'll see our Richoter candidate doesn't
faint this afternoon through lack of nourishment, won't you, France?"
By two o'clock that afternoon the four houses were quiet and
deserted, all except the Richoter candidates being in their
classrooms. Little did they dream, as the clock hand pointed to the
half hour and then crept onwards, of the drama that was being enacted
even then in the science laboratory.
The nine candidates had assembled punctually at two-thirty; Duane had
handed over the key to Miss Vacher and, Miss St. Leger also with
them, they had entered the room and taken up their former places to
continue their work.
There was several minutes' silence while the girls began to take
their compounds from the midget furnaces, preparatory to weighing.
Miss St. Leger and Miss Vacher were talking together in low tones
when a sudden exclamation from Salome made them glance up quickly.
With an expression of amazement on her face the girl was gazing at
one of the pans which she had just removed from her balance;
underneath the pan was a small gravel pebble attached to the pan by
means of a piece of plasticine. She swung round quickly as the
Principal's voice, from just behind her, said sharply: "Has someone
been interfering with your balances, Constance?" (Constance was
Salome's baptismal name.)
[Illustration: "'Has someone been interfering with your balances,
Constance?' asked the Principal."]
"It--it seems so, Miss St. Leger," stammered Salome. "I tested my
balances to see if they were correct before weighing, and was
astonished to find one side much heavier than the other. Then I took
off the pans to try and find the cause and discovered this piece of
gravel underneath one of them."
The faces of the Principal and the science mistress were very grave,
for it looked as if a deliberate attempt had been made to spoil
Salome's results. Aware that the other girls in the room had paused
in their work to listen in astonishment, Miss St. Leger said
decidedly, "Continue your work, girls. Constance, I will inquire
into this as soon as you have all finished your practical work. Go
on now with your experiment."
The Principal stayed in the room till the time allotted for the
practical work was over, then she called them all together round the
bench where Salome, Eileen and Duane had been working and explained
to them exactly what had happened. They looked at one another with
mingled feelings of discomfort and amazement.
Miss St. Leger first questioned Salome. "When did you use your
balances last--I mean before your discovery at the beginning of the
afternoon?"
"This morning," replied Salome at once. "Not long before we left.
We had to weigh our compounds before putting them into the midget
furnaces to heat during the dinner hour."
"You are sure they were correct then?"
"Quite sure, Miss St. Leger. I always lift them before using, to
test and correct them, if necessary. I distinctly remember testing
them this morning."
"Then that means that someone has tampered with them between then and
when we returned," interposed Miss Vacher.
"Exactly. But surely it was not possible for anyone to touch them
while you were working in the room. Constance, what do you say? You
should be the best judge of that."
Salome raised her eyes frankly to the Principal. "I have been
thinking of that, Miss St. Leger. It seems quite impossible to me.
I did not leave my place after the weighing till we went out about
ten minutes later."
"And the nearest girls to you?"
"Eileen and Duane, and they were right at the farther ends of the
benches. I am quite sure no girl in this room touched them then."
"Who was the last one to leave the room?"
"Eileen and I. We came out together with Miss Vacher."
"You are quite sure of that? No one was left behind, even for a half
minute or so? It could have been done in a few seconds."
"I was the last out, Miss St. Leger," replied the science mistress,
"and I locked the door after me."
"Most extraordinary," said the Principal, "and there is only one key
to that lock in the school. We found _that_ out last year. The key
never left your possession during the dinner hour, I suppose, Miss
Vacher?"
The science mistress was looking far from happy. "The key was not in
my possession, Miss St. Leger. After last year--I mean, owing to my
unfortunate absent-mindedness--I decided to entrust it to somebody
else. Duane took charge of it for me."
"Oh!" Miss St. Leger's expression changed abruptly. No longer did
she look puzzled, but keen and alert. "I am rather sorry for that.
However, Duane will be able to answer that question for us."
Duane hesitated, looking across at the science mistress.
"Only once, Miss St. Leger. Miss Vacher sent a junior asking me to
get a pipette out of the lab for her, as she wanted it for some
private work she was doing in her room. I was--was feeling rather
lazy, so another girl offered to fetch it for me."
"Who was the girl who fetched the pipette?"
"Kitty Despard."
Miss St. Leger nodded. "Ah yes, I remember. The girl from
Australia, who came at the beginning of the term. When was this?"
"Just before dinner."
"How long was she gone?"
"Only a few minutes."
"She gave the key back to you on her return?"
"Yes."
"What did you do with it then?"
"I put it back into my pocket."
"And it stayed there till you handed it to Miss Vacher?"
"Yes, Miss St. Leger."
"No one could have taken it and put it back again unknown to you, I
suppose?"
Duane shook her head decidedly.
Miss St. Leger turned to Eileen.
"Will you please see if you can find Kitty Despard for me, Eileen,
and ask her to come here. She is probably down on the
playing-fields, as afternoon lessons are over. Don't say anything to
Kitty or anyone else about what is happening here."
While Eileen was gone, the Principal again turned to Duane.
"You are quite sure no one else had use of the key except yourself
and Kitty?"
"Quite sure, Miss St. Leger."
"And--I am sorry to have to put this question to you, Duane, but
under the circumstances I must. You yourself never went inside the
laboratory during the time the key was in your possession, and you
have no knowledge yourself of anyone who did so, except Kitty
Despard?"
"No."
"You give me your word of honour that you have spoken the truth?"
Duane flushed, but replied:
"Yes, Miss St. Leger."
On Kitty's arrival in Eileen's wake, the Principal turned to her.
"I have sent for you to ask you a few questions. The matter is
rather a serious one, and I want you to answer me very carefully."
Kitty looked in unmistakable astonishment at the circle of serious
faces around her.
"You came to the laboratory during the dinner hour to-day to fetch a
pipette for Miss Vacher?"
Kitty's look of wonderment became more marked.
"Yes, Miss St. Leger."
"You went straight in and fetched the pipette?"
"Yes."
"Did you touch anything else in the room?"
"No, I don't think so."
"You did not touch the girls' experiments or their balances, for
instance?"
"Oh no. I was specially careful not to go near them."
"You did not see anyone else about?"
"No, the corridor was empty. In fact, the building seemed deserted."
"No doubt all the girls were in their houses waiting for the dinner
bell. Are you quite sure you locked the door when you left the room?"
"Positive."
Here Miss Vacher interposed. "Yes, we found the door locked right
enough when we returned in the afternoon, Miss St. Leger."
"One more question, Kitty. You took the key straight back to Duane?
No other girl entered the laboratory while you had it?"
"No one, Miss St. Leger," replied Kitty, shaking her head.
Then Miss St. Leger explained to the puzzled senior what had
happened, but Kitty, with absolute candour, declared firmly that she
had not interfered with the balances and could offer no explanation
of the matter. The other girls said exactly the same, and there the
inquiry ended for the time being.
The Principal walked restlessly across the room and stared out of the
window into the quad below. "One thing is certain," she remarked;
"there are no ordinary means of entry into this room except through
the door. Well, I shall probably call the whole school together for
a public inquiry. Until then, I want you girls to understand that I
do not wish the matter to go any farther. That will do, thank you,
girls. I am sorry I have had to take up some of your time. Miss
Vacher will take you into the Sixth Form room so that you can write
out your results before tea-time."
Tea at Carslake's that day was the usual cheery meal, and if Kitty
and Duane were unusually quiet and silent no one gave much heed to
them. Consequently, it was quite a shock to all except Kitty and
Duane when, directly tea was over, the house mistress gave the order
to assemble at once in the hall.
"What on earth's up now?" exclaimed Hilary, as the little party of
seniors made their way across the quad to the school building on the
heels of their juniors. "Duane, do you know?"
The head prefect paused a moment before she answered, "Yes, I think
so, but you'll know all about it in a few minutes."
As she spoke they entered the hall, finding it nearly full, with rank
after rank of waiting girls, all talking in subdued murmurs that now
and again broke into a clamorous buzz. Silence fell abruptly as Miss
St. Leger entered and took her place on the dais at the farther end
of the hall. The girls stood in their house places, Sheerston's and
Carslake's on the right of the wide central gangway, Prince's and
Green's on the left. The Principal then gave the signal for
calling-over, a customary formality which only took place on special
occasions, and the four head prefects began rapidly calling the names
of the girls in their own houses, each girl answering, "Present."
With the calling-over the interest in the proceedings increased, if
possible, everyone being given the impression that the occasion was a
serious one.
Amidst a breathless hush, the Principal began to speak.
"You will be wondering, I know, why I have assembled the whole school
so suddenly. I am sorry to say that the reason is a very unpleasant
one. It is this. A deliberate attempt was made to spoil the chances
of one of the Richoter candidates in the practical examination which,
as you all know, took place to-day. You will be still more surprised
to hear," pausing as an amazed gasp ran round the room, "that the
girl upon whom this despicable trick was attempted is one of the most
well-liked and esteemed--perhaps the most popular girl in the school,
the head prefect of Sheerston's." A low murmur was heard and all
heads turned involuntarily towards Salome, who coloured all over her
frank, open face, then paled as swiftly.
"That this silly, stupid attempt failed most lamentably does not, to
me, make it any the less serious."
The Principal then proceeded to explain the nature of the experiment
the candidates were working, and the apparatus being used. She gave
the gist of the inquiry she had held in the laboratory that
afternoon, and then went on to say:
"So you see, it certainly seems that the only two girls who can throw
any light on this affair are Duane and Kitty. If those two girls
will come forward I should like to question them again before the
school. They have had a little time since my first inquiry to think
things over and may have thought of something which did not then
occur to them."
Conscious that the gaze of every soul in the room was on them, Duane
and Kitty advanced to Miss St. Leger's dais. Of the two, Duane
betrayed the least emotion; her calm imperturbability stood her in
good stead now. Kitty was pale and trembling a little, but she
looked the Principal straight in the face in her frank, fearless
manner, and when she spoke her voice was clear and steady.
"Do you still assert, Kitty, that you did not touch the balances when
you went into the laboratory this morning?"
"No, I did not touch them, Miss St. Leger," replied Kitty firmly.
"On your word of honour?"
"On my word of honour."
"You saw nobody near the laboratory when you were there?"
"No, Miss St. Leger," Kitty replied, and a kind of sigh rustled round
the listening ranks. The Principal turned to Duane.
"The key did not pass out of your charge except when Kitty had it?"
"No, Miss St. Leger."
"Where were you after dinner when the rest of the girls had gone to
afternoon lessons?"
"In my study, resting. I stayed until it was time to return to the
laboratory."
"And during that time you did not go to the laboratory yourself?"
"No, Miss St. Leger."
"That will do, thank you. You may go to your places."
"Begorrah!" murmured Paddy under her breath to the next girl, "didn't
she look right through them! I wonder they didn't sink through the
floor."
The Principal had turned to the girls and was addressing the school
again.
"If any girl here thinks she can throw any light on this affair, can
tell us anything that we do not at present know, will she please come
forward now."
There was silence. The girls looked from one to another, but no one
spoke or moved out of her place.
"Someone in this room this evening is the culprit," continued the
Principal, in her most impressive tones. "I will make my appeal to
that girl, whoever she is. If she is sorry for an impulsive,
unconsidered act, the finest way to show her repentance, and the way
that calls for most moral courage, would be to come forward now in
front of the whole school and confess her guilty intentions."
Again the Principal paused and swept the rows of upturned faces with
earnest gaze. Many paled and looked uncomfortable and apprehensive,
but no one stirred or spoke and the silence became so intense that
one could have heard a pin drop.
Then the Principal turned with a brisk movement and the tension
relaxed.
"I will not keep you any longer to-night, girls. I shall let the
matter rest for a few days, so that the culprit may have a second
chance. If she has not the courage to come forward and confess in
front of the school, it is my earnest hope that she will come to me
in private, remembering what I said a minute ago. In the meantime I
will ask you all to behave quietly and sensibly and not start jumping
to any rash or foolish conclusions."
The assembly then broke up, the girls returning to their own houses.
The Principal and the mistresses lingered behind on the dais for a
few minutes.
"A most distressing thing to happen," Miss Sheerston said in her
incisive way. "I would have staked my head that there is not a girl
in my house capable of such an act."
The other three house mistresses emphatically declared that they also
would have placed undisputed trust in every one of their older girls.
There was no character in the school who could be pointed out as
flagrantly dishonest. Of course the younger girls were out of the
question; they did no science and were incapable of thinking out such
a plot.
But it was of Duane and Kitty that the mistresses were thinking
chiefly. "It seems as if one of them must be guilty," Miss St. Leger
said reflectively, "and one of them a head prefect, too. If only
Duane could have accounted for that half-hour or so alone after
dinner, then she would have been above suspicion. I hate the thought
of suspecting her."
"Things look decidedly black against the other girl, Kitty Despard,"
Miss Green pointed out. "We know she did go to the laboratory. We
have only her word that she didn't touch the balance."
"And yet I am loath to suspect the girl," said Miss St. Leger
ruefully. "I liked her straightforward, fearless look, and I reckon
myself a pretty good judge of character. If she is guilty, then she
is the cleverest hypocrite for a girl I have yet come across. How
have you others found her?"
"I like her," said Miss Carslake. "She is not clever, but always
bright and open, full of high spirits but quite unassuming. I
thought she had been doing a good deal to help the improvement in the
house."
"And a real sport on the field," added Miss Bryce, the games
mistress. "I mean a sport in the best sense of the word."
"What puzzles me," said Miss Sheerston, "is the motive behind it all.
There must be a motive of some sort, that is certain. Constance told
me herself she didn't know a single girl in the school who disliked
her or who bore her a grudge. The plasticine and gravel offer no
clue. There is plenty of the former in the lower form classrooms,
used by the little ones for map modelling and that sort of thing,
while the path outside is covered with small gravel."
Then Miss Prince proffered a suggestion. "Do you think it is a
question, not so much of personal spite but of house rivalry, which
as you know is very keen, over examinations as well as over games?
That idea excludes Miss Sheerston's girls, of course."
"It might be," admitted the Principal. "I have always encouraged
friendly house rivalry, because it raises the standard of work and
play. But I should be extremely sorry and disappointed if it has
resulted in anything like this."