“But you can. There’s something behind it all, I’m sure. Take my advice, and explain it to Miss Beasley. She’d be quite decent about it.”
Raymonde shook her head sadly and silently.
“Yes, she would, if you’d only confess. I can’t understand you, Ray. You were always a madcap, but you never did anything underhand or sneaky before; even when you were naughtiest you were quite square and above-board.”
“Thank you!” smiled Raymonde faintly.
“I can’t think why you should have changed, and conceal everything! Ray, I appeal to your best side. You signed our Marlowe Grange League, and seemed quite enthusiastic about it at the time. Won’t you try to live up to it now?”
Raymonde rose to her feet. In her eyes were two smouldering fires.
“You can’t understand!” Her voice was trembling with passion. “It’s exactly because I signed that paper and promised to be faithful to my friends and to speak the truth, that I’m in all this trouble. No, I tell you I won’t explain! If you 280 think so badly of me that you won’t believe my word, it’s no use my speaking to you. Oh! I hate everybody, and I hate everything! I wish I could go home!”
“Better stay and clear things up!” said Veronica. “If I could do anything for you, I would.”
“Would you?” asked Raymonde with a flash of hope. “Could you possibly get a letter posted for me?”
Veronica shook her head.