"Apparently not. Yesterday morning Miss Perkins came to me and told me Monica had passed a restless night. Evidently she had her previous day's experiences on her mind, for several times she cried out and muttered in her sleep, and each time about the water in the well and how cold it would be. Miss Perkins said she seemed to have a horror of falling into cold water."
"But the well was dry," interjected Allison.
"Yes, but Miss Perkins was sure that was what she kept saying. I saw Monica later in the day and told her I had received an answer to an inquiry I had sent to the Priory School. I was more successful at this attempt," Miss Julian smiled, "and in a short time I managed to win her confidence and learnt what I have just been telling you. I also gathered further details of Wednesday's misadventure; how Nat slipped into the well and how Monica slid down the rope after her almost immediately, in the belief that there was deep water below and that if Nat were injured by the fall she would quickly drown."
"I see!" cried Allison. "It was really an attempt on her part to save Nat's life."
"Yes. The rope was only a few yards long, and when she came to the end she had to make up her mind what to do. For the first time she dared to glance down and saw what she thought to be the glimmer of water below, though we know it was only the soft wet mud at the bottom. She was a good swimmer, but did not know if she would be strong enough to hold Nat up till help arrived. But it was the only chance of saving Nat—so she thought—and desperately frightened though she was, she let go of the rope and dropped, expecting to plunge into icy cold water."
Allison leaned forwards her eyes glowing. "That was a very plucky thing to do, Miss Julian, believing what she did."
"It was, indeed; the more so as she was extremely frightened. I am quite convinced that there is a good deal of splendid material in a girl who can behave like that."
"It seems as if she thinks rather a lot of Nat," Allison ventured.
"Yes. Nathalie seems to be the only girl in her form she cares anything at all about. She said to me quite frankly that if it had been anyone else but Nat in the well she doesn't think she would have had sufficient courage to drop from the rope."
Allison was silent, wondering if her words to Monica that September afternoon in the summer-house had helped to change Monica's opinion of Nat. But aloud she only said: "Monica wouldn't chum up with any of the girls in the Fifth at first. But Nat's a nice girl—and I think one of the finest characters in the Fifth, though she doesn't shine there very much. When she volunteered to have Monica in her study I said to myself that if this new girl couldn't get on with Nat she couldn't get on with anybody. I suppose there is no doubt about her behaviour at Fairhurst before she came here?"