Irene sniffed audibly as she finished reading. "What a precious pair of correspondents!" she thought. Then once again temptation seized her. Wasn't this document worth keeping? By showing it she could also show up Monica Carr's character pretty thoroughly, should it ever be necessary. As for its being a mean trick, hadn't Monica just played the meanest of tricks upon her! Again the temptation proved overwhelming. Irene slipped both the envelope and the letter into her pocket and walked out of the room.
It was evening before the hockey team returned. When Nat pushed open her study door, Monica was ensconsed comfortably in the wicker easy-chair, for once neglecting her lesson books. She looked up as Nat entered, threw her book on the table and inquired eagerly: "Well, how did you get on? Did you win?"
Nat shut the door behind her and leaned her back against it. She looked very big and strong in her sports' tunic. After a moment she demanded in uncompromising tones: "Why did you lock Irene in her study, so that she missed her train?"
Monica tossed back her short locks with a little defiant gesture that was characteristic of her.
"To prevent her playing in the match, of course. I wanted you to get a chance of playing, as you were the reserve. Did you play?"
"Yes, I played," replied Nat slowly, adding in a tone Monica had never yet heard from her: "Did you expect me to thank you?"
Monica looked at her, startled. Never before had she seen easy-going, sweet-tempered Nat look so coldly scornful and indignant.
"We wondered what on earth Miss Bennett wanted to see her for," Nat continued. "We thought it such a shame when the train arrived and there was still no sign of Irene, and we had to go on without her. Deirdre told me I should have to play in her place. Naturally I was pleased. Here was my opportunity at last, and I told myself I meant to make the most of it. I played up with all my might and for once I didn't distinguish myself by doing anything silly. We won three—one, and two of our goals were scored by Madge off my centres.
"When it was over Allison told me that I had played up splendidly and you can't think how pleased I was. I was patting myself on the back all the way home. Then, when we got back to St. Etheldreda's there was Irene ever so angry, with the story of being locked in by a trick. She even thought, from something you said, that it was planned between us so that I could get into the eleven. Luckily, Allison and most of the others believed me when I said I knew nothing about it.
"Do you think I felt so jubilant after that? Do you really think I wanted to win a place in the eleven by making use of a mean trick like that? I would rather a hundred times never have played. It wasn't playing the game at all," Nat finished up, with a final outburst of indignation.