Hester stayed behind in the shady little arbour, and then, on that soft
spring day, while the birds sang overhead, and the warm light breezes
came in and fanned her hot cheeks, good angels and bad drew near to
fight for a victory. Which would conquer? Hester had many faults, but
hitherto she had been honourable and truthful; her sins had been those
of pride and jealousy, but she had never told a falsehood in her life.
She, knew perfectly--she trembled as the full knowledge overpowered
her--that she had it in her power to exonerate Annie. She could not in
the least imagine now stupid Susan Drummond could contrive and carry out
such a clever and deep-laid plot; but she knew also that if she related
what she had seen with her own eyes the night before, she would probably
give such a clew to the apparent mystery that the truth would come to
light.
If Annie was cleared from this accusation, doubtless the old story of
her supposed guilt with regard to Mrs Willis's caricature would also be
read with its right key. Hester was a clever and sharp girl; and the
fact of seeing Susan Drummond in the school-room in the dead of night
opened her eyes also to one or two other apparent little mysteries.
While Susan was her own room-mate she had often given a passing wonder
to the fact of her extraordinary desire to overcome her sleepiness, and
had laughed over the expedients Susan had used to wake at all moments.
These things, at the time, had scarcely given her a moment's serious
reflection; but now she pondered them carefully, and became more and
more certain that, for some inexplicable and unfathomable reason,
sleepy, and apparently innocent, Susan Drummond wished to sow the seeds
of mischief and discord in the school. Hester was sure that if she
chose to speak now she could clear poor Annie, and restore her to her
lost place in Mrs Willis's favour.
Should she do so?--ah! should she? Her lips trembled, her colour came
and went as the angels, good and bad, fought hard for victory within
her. How she had longed to revenge herself on Annie! How cordially she
had hated her! Now was the moment of her revenge. She had but to
remain silent now, and to let matters take their course; she had but to
hold her tongue about the little incident of last night, and, without
any doubt, circumstantial evidence would point at Annie Forest, and she
would be expelled from the school. Mrs Willis must condemn her now.
Mr Everard must pronounce her guilty now. She would go, and when the
coast was again clear the love which she had taken from Hester--the
precious love of Hester's only little sister--would return.
"You will be miserable: you will be miserable," whispered the good
angels sorrowfully in her ear; but she did not listen to them.
"I said I would revenge myself, and this is my opportunity," she
murmured. "Silence--just simply silence--will be my revenge."
Then the good angels went sorrowfully back to their Father in heaven,
and the wicked angels rejoiced. Hester had fallen very low.