“Mrs. Severn!”
“Yes. Some of your schoolmates have got hold of something that evidently had its origin at Severn Lodge. It came by way of the back stairs, of course—from one servant to another. It is disgraceful enough,” continued Miss Hammersly with indignation, “that any of my girls should listen to servants’ gossip; and worse still that they should allow it to influence their minds against a fellow-student.
“We cannot call on Mrs. Severn to-night, Beth. She is a semi-invalid and probably retires early. But we will go to-morrow afternoon.”
“Oh, Miss Hammersly! It is so kind of you——”
“No, Beth. I cannot claim any such virtue in the case. I must defend the characters of my pupils for my own sake—for the school’s sake. And in this case, my dear, I will defend you for your sake; for I am sure you are guiltless of any intended wrong.”
Miss Hammersly and Beth went together in an automobile the following afternoon to Mrs. Severn’s home. It was true that, when they entered, the footman seemed to place himself before Beth as though to ward her from the stairs, while the ever-watchful foreign maid hissed from the head of the stairs:
“Miz Baldwig ees not to come up, Jeems!”
But Miss Hammersly handed her card to the footman, saying sternly:
“Announce me to your mistress. Give that card to nobody else!”
The maid, casting a malevolent glance at Beth, backed out of sight. The big footman started up the stairs, the very calves of his legs in their silk stockings trembling in indignation. But the school principal and Beth were immediately ushered into the presence of the mistress of Severn Lodge.