Miss Oliphant, in
her velvet and sables, was seated in it. Hammond sprang forward with
heightened color and an eager exclamation on his lips. She did not
motion to the coachman to stop, however, but gave the young man a
careless, cold bow. She did not notice Priscilla at all. The carriage
quickly drove out of sight, and Hammond, after a pause, said gravely;
"You must tell me your troubles, Miss Peel."
"I will," said Prissie. "Some one has stolen a five pound note out of
Maggie Oliphant's purse. She missed it late at night and spoke about
it at breakfast this morning. I said that I did not know how it could
have been taken, for I had been studying my Greek in her room during
the whole afternoon. Maggie spoke about her loss in the dining-hall,
and after she left the room Miss Day and Miss Merton accused me of
having stolen the money." Priscilla stopped speaking abruptly; she
turned her head away; a dull red suffused her face and neck.
"Well?" said Hammond.
"That is all. The girls at St. Benet's think I am a thief. They think
I took my kindest friend's money. I have nothing more to say: nothing
possibly could be more dreadful to me. I shall speak to Miss Heath and
ask leave to go away from the college at once."
"You certainly ought not to do that.
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