“Well, you did! And she’ll never believe you didn’t mean to. I couldn’t believe it myself if you didn’t look so scared to death. Oh, you’ll catch it to-morrow!”
Miserable indeed now, Betty began to prepare for bed. She could scarcely find room for her things, for Madeleine had appropriated far more than half of the cupboards and pegs; and the table and two chairs were strewn with her not very orderly wardrobe.
“Say, Elizabeth,” she said, suddenly coming toward Betty as they were almost ready to put out the light, “I want to ask you something. I’m sure you won’t mind, for of course it’s nothing to you, but will you lend me a little money? Just till my allowance comes, you know.”
“Why, yes,” said Betty, who, never having heard such a request before, supposed it was polite to grant it. “How much do you want?”
Encouraged by such prompt compliance, Madeleine doubled the amount she had meant to ask for.
“Could you—could you make it twenty dollars?” she said.
“Certainly; but what is there to spend money for here? I didn’t bring so very much with me.”
“Oh, I want to join a society to-morrow; I’m ’most sure I can get in, but you have to pay dues in advance.”
Betty gave Madeleine the money without further remark, and the two girls went to bed.
But Betty could not sleep. She lay there in the dark, wondering how she could live in this awful school. Madeleine’s mention of a society alarmed her. She would be glad to join a society if the girls would be nice to her; but to join one and have the members cool and unpleasant toward her would be awful.