The three hours seemed like years. At last, however, a faint grey light began to filter into hut. The girls crept out, with chattering teeth, and taking it in turns to carry the crippled Erica pick-a-back until they should find their bicycles, set off in search of the cart track that was their only guide.
CHAPTER XI
THE TRUTH OF IT ALL
The Principal received a telephone message in the morning from Frattenton, to the effect that the missing ones had arrived safely in the early hours, having spent the night in a shepherd's hut on the downs. Miss St. Leger, with a heart considerably lightened, recalled her search parties and sent back instructions for the girls to be brought to Easthampton by train, after they had been fed and cared for by the kindly owners of the George Inn at Frattenton. The school went in to afternoon lessons with the excitement of the morning calmed down, and a little later the three girls arrived.
Nurse insisted on sending Erica to bed at once, with hot blankets and bottles, but the two seniors protested that they felt none the worse for their adventure, for they had been given hot baths and had their clothes thoroughly dried at Frattenton. Indeed, they looked none the worse. Nurse gave in, on the condition that they went to bed early in the evening and had a "proper night's rest."
The two received a summons from the Principal to tea in her room.
"We're honoured," said Duane to Kitty with a laugh. "It's only on very special occasions that girls have tea with Prinny."
A few minutes later found them comfortably ensconced in easy chairs before a bright fire, in the Principal's charming little sitting-room, with cups of tea in their hands and plates of the same delicate and fragile china on their knees. The Principal talked to them pleasantly while they had tea, and Kitty thought what a charming woman she was; though, to be sure, nothing out of the ordinary to look at!
Then, after the maid had cleared the tea-things away, she drew a chair up next to Duane's and said with a sudden change to gravity:
"And now, Duane, for a very serious little talk. I want to know exactly what happened in this distressing affair of the Richoter examination. I know, of course, that there has been a good deal of trouble in the school over it and that you have been very much concerned in it. I want to hear your version of the affair—all you know about it."