saw the tears in your eyes in the fern-house at the Marshalls'. I amvery sorry, but I did see them."
"My dear Prissie!" said Maggie. She went up suddenly to the girl, puther arm round her neck, and kissed her.
"Come home now," she said, drawing Prissie's hand through her arm. "Idon't think I greatly mind your knowing," she said, after a pause. "Youare true; I see it in your face. You would never tell again--you wouldnever make mischief."
"Tell again! Of course not." Prissie's words came out with greatvigour.
"I know you would not, Priscilla; may I call you Priscilla?"
"Yes."
"Will you be my friend, and shall I be your friend?"
"If you would," said Prissie. "But you don't mean it. It is impossiblethat you can mean it. I'm not a bit like you--and--and--you only saythese things to be kind."
"What do you mean, Priscilla?"
"I must tell you," said Prissie, turning very pale. "I heard what yousaid to Miss Banister the night I came to the college."
"What I said to Miss Banister? What did I say?"
"Oh, can't you remember? The words seemed burnt into me: I shall neverforget them. I had left my purse in the dining-hall, and I was going tofetch it. Your door was a little open. I heard my name, and Istopped--yes, I did stop to listen."
"Oh, what a naughty, mean little Prissie! You stopped to listen. Andwhat did you hear? Nothing good, of course? The bad thing was said topunish you for listening."
"I heard," said Priscilla, her own cheeks crimson now, "I heard you saythat it gave you an aesthetic pleasure to be kind, and that was why youwere good to me."
Maggie felt her own colour rising.
"Well, my dear," she said, "it still gives me an aesthetic pleasure tobe kind. You could not expect me to fall in love with you the moment Isaw you. I was kind to you then, perhaps, for the reason I stated. Itis very different now."
"It was wrong of you to be kind to me for that reason."
"Wrong of me? What an extraordinary girl you are, Priscilla--why was itwrong of me?"
"Because I learnt to love you. You were gentle to me, and spokecourteously, when others were rude and only laughed; my whole heart wentout to you when you were so sweet and gentle and kind. I did notthink--I could not possibly think--that you were good just because itgave you a sort of selfish pleasure. When I heard your words I feltdreadful. I hated St Benet's; I wished I had never come. Your wordsturned everything to bitterness for me."
"Did they really, Priscilla? Oh, Prissie! what a thoughtless, wild,impulsive creature I am. Well, I don't feel now as I did that night.If those words were cruel, forgive me. Forget those words, Prissie."
"I will, if you will."
"I? I have forgotten them utterly."
"Thank you, thank you."
"Then we'll be friends--real friends; true friends?"
"Yes."
"You must say `Yes, Maggie.'"
"Yes, Maggie."
"That is right. Now keep your hand in my arm. Let's walk fast Is itnot glorious to walk in this semi-frosty sort of weather? Prissie,you'll see a vast lot that you don't approve of in your new friend."
"Oh, I don't care," said Priscilla.
She felt so joyous she could have skipped.
"I've as many sides," continued Maggie, "as a chameleon has colours. Iam the gayest of the gay, as well as the saddest of the sad. When I amgay you may laugh with me, but I warn you when I am sad you must nevercry with me. Leave me alone when I have my dark moods on, Prissie."
"Very well, Maggie, I'll remember."
"I think you'll make a delightful friend," said Miss Oliphant, justglancing at her; "but I pity your side of the bargain."
"Why?"
"Because I'll try you so fearfully."
"Oh, no, you won't. I don't want to have a perfect friend."
"Perfect! No, child--Heaven forbid. But there are shades ofperfection. Now, when I get into my dark moods, I feel wicked as wellas sad. No, we won't talk of them; we'll keep them away. Prissie, Ifeel good to-night--good--and glad: it's such a nice feeling."
"I am sure of it," said Priscilla.
"What do you know about it, child? You have not tasted life yet. Waituntil you do. For instance--no, though--I won't enlighten you.Prissie, what do you think of Geoffrey Hammond?"
"I think he loves you, very much."
"Poor Geoffrey! Now, Prissie, you are to keep that little thought quitedark in your mind--in fact, you are to put it out of your mind. You arenot to associate my name with Mr Hammond's--not even in your thoughts.You will very likely hear us spoken of together, and some of the stupidgirls here will make little quizzing, senseless remarks. But there willbe no truth in them, Prissie. He is nothing to me, nor I to him."
"Then why did you blow a kiss after him?" asked Priscilla.
Maggie stood still. It was too dark for Priscilla to see her blush.
"Oh, my many-sided nature!" she suddenly exclaimed. "It was a wickedsprite made me blow that kiss. Prissie, my dear, I am cold: race me tothe house."
The two girls entered the wide hall, flushed and laughing. Other girlswere lingering about on the stairs. Some were just starting off toevening service at Kingsdene; others were standing in groups, chatting.Nancy Banister came up, and spoke to Maggie. Maggie took her arm, andwalked away with her.
Prissie found herself standing alone in the hall. It was as if thedelightful friendship cemented between herself and Miss Oliphant in thefrosty air outside had fallen to pieces like a castle of cards themoment they entered the house. Prissie felt a chill. Her high spiritswent down a very little. Then, resolving to banish the ignoble spiritof distrust, she prepared to run upstairs to her own room.
Miss Heath called her name as she was passing an open door.
"Is that you, my dear? Will you come to my room after supper to-night?"
"Oh, thank you," said Prissie, her eyes sparkling.
Miss Heath came to the threshold of her pretty room, and smiled at theyoung girl.
"You look well and happy," she said. "You are getting at home here.You will love us all yet."
"I love you now!" said Prissie, with fervour.
Miss Heath, prompted by the look of intense and sincere gladness on theyoung face, bent and kissed Priscilla. A rather disagreeable voice saidsuddenly at her back--
"I beg your pardon," and Lucy Marsh ran down the stairs.
She had knocked against Prissie in passing; she had witnessed MissHeath's kiss. The expression on Lucy's face was unpleasant. Prissiedid not notice it, however. She went slowly up to her room. Theelectric light was on, the fire was blazing merrily. Priscilla removedher hat and jacket, threw herself into the one easy-chair the roomcontained, and gave herself up to pleasant dreams. Many new aspects oflife were opening before her. She felt that it was a good thing to beyoung, and she was distinctly conscious of a great, soft glow ofhappiness.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
CAUGHT IN A TRAP.
College life is school life over again, but with wide differences. Therestraints which characterise the existence of a school-girl arescarcely felt at all by the girl graduate. There are no punishments.Up to a certain point she is free to be industrious or not as shepleases. Some rules there are for her conduct and guidance, but theyare neither many nor arbitrary. In short, the young girl graduate is nolonger thought of as a child. She is a woman, with a woman'sresponsibilities; she is treated accordingly.
Miss Day, Miss Marsh, Miss Merton, and one or two other congenialspirits, entered heartily into the little plot which should deprivePriscilla of Maggie Oliphant's friendship. They were anxious to succeedin this, because their characters were low, their natures jealous andmean. Prissie had set up a higher standard than theirs, and they weredetermined to crush the little aspirant for moral courage. If incrushing Prissie they could also bring discredit upon Miss Oliphant,their sense of victory would have been intensified; but it was one thingfor these conspir
ators to plot and plan, and another thing for them toperform. It is possible that in school life they might have found thiseasier; opportunities might have arisen for them, with mistresses to beobeyed, punishments to be dreaded, rewards to be won. At St Benet'sthere was no one especially to be obeyed, and neither rewards norpunishments entered into the lives of the girls.
Maggie Oliphant did not care in the least what girls like Miss Day orMiss Marsh said or thought about her, and Priscilla, who was very happyand industrious just now, heard many innuendoes and sly little speecheswithout taking in their meaning.
Still, the conspirators did not despair. The term before Christmas wasin some ways rather a dull one, and they were glad of any excitement tobreak the monotony. As difficulties increased their ardour alsodeepened, and they were resolved not to leave a stone unturned to effecttheir object. Where there is a will there is a way. This is true asregards evil and good things alike.
One foggy morning, towards the end of November, Priscilla was standingby the door of one of the lecture-rooms, a book of French history, aFrench grammar and exercise-book, and a thick note-book in her hand.She was going to her French lecture, and was standing patiently by thelecture-room door, which had not yet been opened.
Priscilla's strongest bias was for Greek and Latin, but Mr Hayes hadrecommended her to take up modern languages as well, and she wassteadily plodding through the French and German, for which she had notso strong a liking as for her beloved classics. Prissie was a veryeager learner, and she was busy now looking over her notes of the lastlecture, and standing close to the door, so as to be one of the first totake her place in the lecture-room.
The rustling of a dress caused her to look round, and Rosalind Mertonstood by her side. Rosalind was by no means one of the "students" ofthe college. She attended as few lectures as were compatible with herremaining there, but French happened to be one of the subjects which shethought it well to take up, and she appeared now by Prissie's side withthe invariable note-book, without which no girl went to lecture, in herhand.
"Isn't it cold?" she said, shivering, and raising her pretty face toPriscilla's.
Prissie glanced at her for a moment, said Yes; she supposed it was cold,in an abstracted voice, and bent her head once more over her note-book.
Rosalind was looking very pretty in a dress of dark blue velveteen. Hergolden curly hair lay in little tendrils all over her head, and curledlovingly against her soft white throat.
"I hate Kingsdene in a fog," she continued, "and I think it's very wrongto keep us in this draughty passage until the lecture-room is opened.Don't you, Miss Peel?"
"Well, we are before our time, so no one is to blame for that," answeredPriscilla.
"Of course, so we are." Rosalind pulled out a small gold watch, whichshe wore at her girdle.
"How stupid of me to have mistaken the hour!" she exclaimed. Thenlooking hard at Prissie, she continued in an anxious tone--
"You are not going to attend any lectures this afternoon, are you, MissPeel?"
"No," answered Priscilla. "Why?"
Rosalind's blue eyes looked almost pathetic in their pleading.
"I wonder,"--she began; "I'm so worried, I _wonder_ if you'd do me akindness."
"I can't say until you ask me," said Priscilla; "what do you want me todo?"
"There's a girl at Kingsdene, a Miss Forbes. She makes my dresses nowand then; I had a letter from her last night, and she is going to Londonin a hurry, because her mother is ill. She made this dress for me;isn't it pretty?"
"Yes," answered Priscilla, just glancing at it. "But what connectionhas that with my doing anything for you?"
"Oh, a great deal; I'm coming to that part. Miss Forbes wants me to payher for making this dress before she goes to London. I can only do thisby going to Kingsdene this afternoon."
"Well?" said Priscilla.
"I want to know if you will come with me. Miss Heath does not like ourgoing to the town alone, particularly at this time of year, when theevenings are so short. Will you come with me, Miss Peel? It will beawfully good-natured of you, and I really do want poor Miss Forbes tohave her money before she goes to London."
"But cannot some of your own friends go with you?" returned Priscilla."I don't wish to refuse, of course, if it is necessary; but I want towork up my Greek notes this afternoon. The next lecture is a very stiffone, and I sha'n't be ready for it without some hard work."
"Oh, but you can study when you come back. _Do_ come with me. I wouldnot ask you, only I know you are so good-natured, and Annie Day and LucyMarsh have both to attend lectures this afternoon. I have no one toask--no one, really, if you refuse. I have not half so many friends asyou think, and it would be quite too dreadful for poor Miss Forbes notto have her money when she wants to spend it on her sick mother."
Priscilla hesitated for a moment. Two or three other girls were walkingdown the corridor to the lecture-room; the door was flung open.
"Very well," she said, as she entered the room, followed by Rosalind, "Iwill go with you. At what hour do you want to start?"
"At three o'clock. I'm awfully grateful. A thousand thanks, MissPeel."
Prissie nodded, seated herself at the lecture-table, and in the interestof the work which lay before her soon forgot all about Rosalind and hertroubles.
The afternoon of that day turned out not only foggy, but wet. Adrizzling rain shrouded the landscape, and very few girls from StBenet's were venturing abroad.
At half-past two Nancy Banister came hastily into Priscilla's room.
"Maggie and I are going down to the library," she said, "to have a cosyread by the fire; we want you to come with us. Why, surely you arenever going out, Miss Peel?"
"Yes, I am," answered Prissie, in a resigned voice. "I don't like it abit, but Miss Merton has asked me to go with her to Kingsdene, and Ipromised."
"Well, you sha'n't keep your promise. This is not a fit day for you togo out, and you have a cough, too. I heard you coughing last night."
"Yes, but that is nothing. I must go, Miss Banister; I must keep myword. I daresay it won't take Miss Merton and me very long to walk intoKingsdene and back again."
"And I never knew that Rosalind Merton was one of your friends,Prissie," continued Nancy, in a puzzled voice.
"Nor is she--I scarcely know her; but when she asked me to go out withher, I could not very well say no."
"I suppose not; but I am sorry, all the same, for it is not a fit dayfor anyone to be abroad, and Rosalind is such a giddy pate. Well, comeback as soon as you can. Maggie and I are going to have a jolly time,and we only wish you were with us."
Nancy nodded brightly, and took her leave, and Priscilla, putting on herwaterproof and her shabbiest hat, went down into the hall to meetRosalind.
Rosalind was also in waterproof, but her hat was extremely pretty andbecoming, and Priscilla fancied she got a glimpse of a gay silk dressunder the waterproof cloak.
"Oh, how quite too sweet of you to be ready!" said Rosalind, witheffusion. She took Prissie's hand and squeezed it affectionately, andthe two girls set off.
The walk was a dreary one, for Kingsdene, one of the most beautifulplaces in England in fine weather, lies so low, that in the wintermonths fogs are frequent, and the rain is almost incessant, so that thenthe atmosphere is always damp and chilly. By the time the two girls hadgot into the High Street, Prissie's thick, sensible boots were coveredwith mud, and Rosalind's thin ones felt very damp to her feet.
They soon reached the quarter where the dressmaker, Miss Forbes, lived.Prissie was asked to wait downstairs, and Rosalind ran up severalflights of stairs to fulfil her mission. She came back at the end of afew minutes, looking bright and radiant.
"I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Miss Peel," she said, "but myboots were so muddy that Miss Forbes insisted on polishing them up forme."
"Well, we can go home now, I suppose?" said Prissie.
"Ye-es; only as we _are_ here, would you greatly mind
our going round byBouverie Street? I want to inquire for a friend of mine, MrsElliot-Smith. She has not been well."
"Oh, I don't mind," said Priscilla. "Will it take us much out of ourway?"
"No, only a step or two. Come, we have just to turn this corner, andhere we are. What a dear--quite too good-natured girl you are, MissPeel!" Prissie said nothing. The two started forth again in thedrizzling mist and fog, and presently found themselves in one of themost fashionable streets of Kingsdene, and standing before a ponderoushall-door, which stood back in a portico.
Rosalind rang the bell, which made a loud peal. The door was openedalmost immediately; but, instead of a servant appearing in answer to thesummons, a showily dressed girl, with a tousled head of flaxen hair,light blue eyes, and a pale face, stood before Rosalind and Prissie.
"Oh, you dear Rose!" she said, clasping her arms round Miss Merton, anddragging her into the house: "I had almost given you up. Do come in--docome in, both of you. You are more than welcome. What a miserable,horrid, too utterly depressing afternoon it is!"
"How do you do, Meta?" said Rosalind, when she could interrupt thiseager flow of words. "May I introduce my friend, Miss