‘The English girls were much worse,’ hastily said Gillian, with a flush of alarm, as she thought of her own friends being suspected.

‘Yes; but it began with the little Greek,’ said Aunt Ada.  ’What a pity, for she is such an engaging child!  I would take the child away from the High School, except that it would have the appearance of her being dismissed.

‘We must consider of that,’ said Aunt Jane.  ’There will hardly be time to hear from Lilias before the next term begins.  Indeed, it will not be so very long to wait before the happy return, I hope.’

‘Only two months,’ said Gillian; ’but it would be happier but for this.’

‘No,’ said Aunt Jane.  ’If we made poor little Val write her confession, and I do the same for not having looked after her better, it will be off our minds, and need not cloud the meeting.’

‘The disgrace!’ sighed Gillian; ‘the public disgrace!’

’My dear, I don’t want to make you think lightly of such a thing.  It was very wrong in a child brought up as you have all been, with a sense of honour and uprightness; but where there has been no such training, the attempt to copy is common enough, for it is not to be looked on as an extraordinary and indelible disgrace.  Do you remember Primrose saying she had broken mamma’s heart when she had knocked down a china vase?  You need not be in that state of mind over what was a childish fault, made worse by those bullying girls.  It is of no use to exaggerate.  The sin is the thing—–­not the outward shame.’

‘And Valetta told at once when asked,’ added Aunt Ada.

‘That makes a great difference.’

‘In fact, she was relieved to have it out,’ said Miss Mohun.  ’It is not at all as if she were in the habit of doing things underhand.’

Everything struck on Gillian like a covert reproach.  It was pain and shame to her that a Merrifield should have lowered herself to the common herd so as to need these excuses of her aunts, and then in the midst of that indignation came that throb of self-conviction which she was always confuting with the recollection of her letter to her mother.

She was glad to bid good-night and rest her head.

The aunts ended by agreeing that it was needful to withdraw Valetta from the competition.  It would seem like punishment to her, but it would remove her from the strain that certainly was not good for her.  Indeed, they had serious thoughts of taking her from the school altogether, but the holidays would not long be ended before her parents’ return.

‘I am sorry we ever let her try for the prize,’ said Ada.

‘Yes,’ said Aunt Jane, ’I suppose it was weakness; but having opposed the acceptance of the system of prizes by competition at first, I thought it would look sullen if I refused to let Valetta try.  Stimulus is all very well, but competition leads to emulation, wrath, strife, and a good deal besides.’