"Ah! that is harder to understand. As I said before, I could get little out of her beside a few bald answers to direct questions. Some people find it very hard to unburden themselves, you know—especially children. I think it was chiefly because Monica felt that the responsibility was partly hers, since she had deliberately put the idea into the other girl's mind, and was therefore equally to blame. An extraordinary point of view to take, of course, but that was how she regarded it."
"Anyway," Allison commented, "it shows pretty plainly that she isn't without a conscience or a sense of right and wrong."
"On the contrary, those qualities seem to be highly developed in Monica for a girl of her age."
"Then I suppose that ends the telegram affair?"
"Yes. I am glad we have got to the bottom of it so successfully. By the by, you did not join in the paper-chase last Wednesday, did you, Allison?"
"No, I did not like to spare the time, Miss Julian. It was very fortunate the well was not deep and was practically dry, wasn't it?"
"Yes, indeed. I shudder to think of what might have happened otherwise. As it was, it was remarkable that Nathalie escaped almost scot-free. I don't think anyone yet realizes the part Monica played there."
"The part Monica played?" repeated Allison inquiringly.
"Yes. I wanted to tell you of that also."
"But I thought we knew all about it?"