Blue Bonnet took the book again in her hands and turned over a few leaves, her face still surprised and bewildered.
"In my drawer! Who do you suppose could have put it there?"
She looked Miss North clearly in the eyes.
"That is what I am trying to find out. It is the kind of book that is expressly forbidden in the school, Miss Ashe. This is a very serious matter."
Blue Bonnet laid the book on the desk instantly, giving it a little push as if contaminated by the touch.
"And you think, Miss North, that I would have a book like that in my drawer?"
"I should not like to think it, Miss Ashe, but—"
Blue Bonnet did not let her finish the sentence.
"Doesn't my word count for anything? I am in the habit of telling the truth."
Miss North hesitated. She believed the girl innocent, but she had had so many experiences—boarding-school was a hotbed for them, she sometimes thought. Her position was a trying one.