"Of course you were. I can quite understand that. On the other hand, we do not expect you to love and trust us all at once. Confidence comes by degrees; but we do want you to believe that your best interests are considered here—always."
Blue Bonnet started to leave the room.
"One moment, Miss Ashe. Will you say to Fraulein Herrmann what you have just said to me—that you are sorry—sorry for what she deems an impertinence on your part in the study hall?"
Blue Bonnet flushed to the roots of her brown hair.
"But I am not sorry, Professor Howe."
"Not sorry to have been rude, Miss Ashe?"
"I think Fraulein Herrmann was rude to me. She called to me before the whole room—she—"
"You were disobeying the rules, Miss Ashe. Fraulein was right. Study hour is not the time for letter writing. You will apologize, I am sure."
The little smile so rare and fleeting that Blue Bonnet loved appeared for a brief second. It won the girl as nothing else could.
"I will then—to please you," she answered, and went to find Fraulein immediately.