“You will come with us to the Elliot-Smiths’?  You know how anxious Meta is to have you.”

“Thank you, but am I anxious to go to Meta?”

“Oh! you are, you must be; you cannot be so cruel as to refuse.”

After the emotion she had gone through in the morning, Maggie’s heart was in that softened, half-tired state when it could be most easily influenced.  She was in no mood for arguing or for defiance of any sort.  “Peace at all hazards” was her motto just now.  She was also in so reckless a mood as to be indifferent to what any one thought of her.  The Elliot-Smiths were not in her “set.”  She disliked them and their ways, but she had met Meta at a friend’s house a week ago.  Meta had been introduced to Miss Oliphant and had pressed her invitation vigorously.  It would be a triumph of triumphs to Meta Elliot-Smith to introduce the beautiful heiress to her own set.  Maggie’s refusal was not listened to.  She was begged to reconsider the question; implored to be merciful, to be kind; assured of undying gratitude if she would consent to come even for one short hour.

Miss Day and Miss Marsh were commissioned by Meta to secure Maggie at all costs.

“You will come?” said Miss Day; “you must come.”  Then coming up close to Maggie, she whispered in an eager voice:  “Would not you like to find out who has taken your five-pound note?  Miss Peel is your friend.  Would it not gratify you to clear her?”

“Why should I clear one who can never possibly be suspected?” replied Miss Oliphant in a voice of anger.  Her words were spoken aloud and so vehemently that Annie Day drew back a step or two in alarm.

“Well, but you would like to know who really took your money?” she reiterated, again speaking in a whisper.

Maggie was standing by one of the bookcases; she stretched up her hand to take down a volume.  As she did so her eyes rested for a moment on Priscilla.

“I would as soon suspect myself as her,” she thought, “and yet last night, for a moment, even I was guilty of an unworthy thought of you, Prissie, and if I could doubt, why should I blame others?  If going to the Elliot-Smiths’ will establish your innocence, I will go.”

“Well,” said Miss Day, who was watching her face, “I am to see Meta to-morrow morning; am I to tell her to expect you?”

“Yes,” replied Maggie, “but I wish to say at once, with regard to that five-pound note, that I am not interested in it.  I am so careless about my money matters, that it is quite possible l may have been mistaken when I thought I put it into my purse.”

“Oh! oh! but you spoke so confidently this morning.”

“One of my impulses.  I wish I had not done it.”

“Having done it, however,” retorted Miss Day, “it is your duty to take any steps which may be necessary to clear the college of so unpleasant and disgraceful a charge.”

“You think I can do this by going to the Elliot-Smiths’?”