Polly put her handkerchief up to her eyes and
began to sob loudly.
"Miss Oliphant," said Miss Eccleston, "will you please account for the
fact that you, who are looked up to in this college, you who are one
of our senior students, and for whom Miss Heath has a high regard,
took part in the disgraceful scenes which occurred in Miss Singleton's
room on Monday evening?"
"I shall certainly tell you the truth," retorted Maggie. She paused
for a moment. Then, the color flooding her cheeks, and her eyes
looking straight before her, she began:
"I went to Miss Singleton's room knowing that I was doing wrong. I
hated to go and did not take the smallest interest in the proceedings
which were being enacted there." She paused again. Her voice, which
had been slightly faltering, grew a little firmer. Her eyes met Miss
Heath's, which were gazing at her in sorrowful and amazed surprise.
Then she continued: "I did not go alone. I took another and perfectly
innocent girl with me. She is a newcomer, and this is her first term.
She would naturally be led by me, and I wish therefore to exonerate
her completely. Her name is Priscilla Peel. She did not buy anything,
and she hated being there even more than I did, but I took her hand
and absolutely forced her to come with me.
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