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.