A few days after this Hester was much delighted to receive an invitation
from her little friends, the Misses Bruce. These good ladies had not
forgotten the lonely and miserable child whom they had comforted not a
little during her journey to school six weeks ago. They invited Hester
to spend the next half-holiday with them, and as this happened to fall
on a Saturday, Mrs Willis gave Hester permission to remain with her
friends until eight o'clock, when she would send the carriage to fetch
her home.
The trouble about Annie had taken place the Wednesday before, and all
the girls' heads were full of the uncleared-up mystery when Hester
started on her little expedition.
Nothing was known; no fresh light had been thrown on the subject.
Everything went on as usual within the school, and a casual observer
would never have noticed the cloud which rested over that usually happy
dwelling. A casual observer would have noticed little or no change in
Annie Forest; her merry laugh was still heard, her light step still
danced across the play-room floor, she was in her place in class, and
was, if anything, a little more attentive and a little more successful
over her lessons. Her pretty, piquant face, her arch expression, the
bright, quick and droll glance which she alone could give, were still to
be seen; but those who knew her well and those who loved her best saw a
change in Annie.
In the play-room she devoted herself exclusively to the little ones; she
never went near Cecil Temple's drawing-room, she never mingled with the
girls of the middle school as they clustered round the cheerful fire.
At meal-times she ate little, and her room-fellow was heard to declare
that she was awakened more than once in the middle of the night by the
sound of Annie's sobs. In chapel, too, when she fancied herself quite
unobserved, her face wore an expression of great pain; but if Mrs
Willis happened to glance in her direction, instantly the little mouth
became demure and almost hard, the dark eyelashes were lowered over the
bright eyes, the whole expression of the face showed the extreme of
indifference. Hester felt more sure than ever of Annie's guilt; but one
or two of the other girls in the school wavered in this opinion, and
would have taken Annie out of "Coventry" had she herself made the
smallest advance toward them.
Annie and Hester had not spoken to each other now for several days; but
on this afternoon, which was a bright one in early spring, as Hester was
changing her school-dress for her Sunday one, and preparing for her
visit to the Misses Bruce, there came a light knock at her door. She
said "Come in," rather impatiently, for she was in a hurry, and dreaded
being kept.
To her surprise Annie Forest put in her curly head, and then, dancing
with her usual light movement across the room, she laid a little bunch
of dainty spring flowers on the dressing-table beside Hester.
Hester stared, first at the intruder and then at the early primroses.
She passionately loved flowers, and would have exclaimed with ecstasy at
these had anyone brought them in except Annie.
"I want you," said Annie, rather timidly for her, "to take these flowers
from me to Miss Agnes and Miss Jane Bruce. It will be very kind of you
if you will take them. I am sorry to have interrupted you--thank you
very much."