“You wicked!” said Florence. “Then what am I?”
“And yet Jesus loves you,” said Susie.
They talked long and seriously, and Florence listened earnestly.
From that time the girls were firm friends. Florence wished to tell all her schoolmates of her injustice towards her room-mate; but Susie would not consent to this. She would only permit her to tell that the composition was found. Even Carrie knew nothing except this; and all supposed it had been mislaid.
Not long after this, as Susan, Florence and Carrie were walking in the grounds together, they went to the quiet nook which was Carrie’s favourite spot. Taking a little by-path, they wandered on, till suddenly they came upon Miss Forester, who was sitting on a log, reading.
The trees grew so thickly around her seat that they did not see her till they were close beside her.
Florence saw that the place was quite near “Lina’s Nook,” as they had named her favourite spot.
“This is a pretty place,” said Susan, kindly.
“Yes,” replied Miss Forester. “I come here often. It is one of my favourite haunts.”
It flashed upon Florence in an instant that she it was who had been a spy on her interview with Carrie in the grounds after their visit to the study, and had been Mr. Worcester’s informant.