After a moment's silence, Nan acted as spokesman.
"We did not intend to be disrespectful to Mrs. Cupp," she declared, and then went on and told the whole story.
"That puts things in a better light," said Dr. Prescott, when Nan had finished. "But to make you more careful in future and to remind you that the rules of Lakeview Hall are made to be observed, not ignored, I will forbid you all to go outside the grounds for three full days. You can go now to your recitations."
The girls bowed and withdrew, and for the rest of the morning they were unusually quiet. At noon they gathered in Laura's room, dropped into the nearest chairs at hand, and looked at each other lugubriously.
"Three days without poking our noses outside the gates!" mourned Bess. "How are we ever going to stand it?"
"I don't care much for that," commented Rhoda. "But I hate to give that Linda Riggs anything to gloat over."
"And she will," declared Grace. "She'll make the very most of it, you can be sure."
"She will."
"Oh, well, let her then," said Laura, recovering something of her usual spirits. "Say, girls, did you see the expression on Cupp's face when we opened the door?"
They burst into a merry laugh at the remembrance, and the laugh lessened the tension and did them good.