When Maggie awoke she professed not to believe in her dream; but,
nevertheless, she had a headache, and her heart was heavy within her.
At breakfast that morning Miss Oliphant made a rather startling
announcement. "I wish to say something," she remarked in her full,
rich voice. "A strange thing happened to me last night. I am not
accounting for it; I am casting no aspersions on any one; I don't even
intend to investigate the matter; still, I wish publicly to state a
fact-- a five-pound note has been taken out of my purse!"
There were no dons or lecturers present when Miss Oliphant made this
startling announcement, but Nancy Banister, Rosalind Merton, Priscilla
Peel, Miss Day, Miss Marsh and several other girls were all in the
room; they, each of them, looked at the speaker with startled and
anxious inquiry.
Maggie herself did not return the glances; she was lazily helping
herself to some marmalade.
"How perfectly shameful!" burst at last from the lips of Miss Day.
"You have lost five pounds, Miss Oliphant; you are positively certain
that five pounds have been taken out of your purse. Where was your
purse?" Maggie was spreading the marmalade on her bread and butter;
her eyes were still fixed on her plate. "I don't wish a fuss made,"
she said.
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