"Geraldine, you are not telling me the truth. You do know something about this paper. I command you to tell me at once what it is you know."
"I—I can't tell you anything about it," said poor Geraldine, not knowing what to do or say. But this answer only served to anger Miss Parrot yet more.
"You will please oblige me by thinking about it until you can tell me something," she remarked icily. "Go and stand over there," pointing to a place facing the rest of the class, "until you can remember whether or not this paper belongs to you. If that does not assist your memory I shall be obliged to take you to Miss Oakley after class."
Geraldine made a movement towards the appointed spot, but before she could reach it, Jack Pym rose abruptly in her desk.
"Please, Miss Parrot, I can't see that paper but I don't think it's got anything to do with Geraldine. If it's a drawing, I expect it belongs to me."
Miss Parrot's eyebrows went up.
"Indeed! Wait a moment, Geraldine. Suppose you come here, Jack, and see if you can identify it."
Jack made her way rather sulkily to Miss Parrot's desk.
"Yes, it's mine," she said. "I did it for a joke."
"A joke in very questionable taste, I think," said the mistress severely. "I am afraid I shall have to discourage your sense of humour, Jack, since it hardly accords with my own. You will take a conduct mark, please, and forfeit next Saturday's half-holiday. And I hope this may be a lesson to you to refrain for the future from using your undoubted talent for drawing in making vulgar representations of those who are put in authority over you. You may go back to your seat. And, Geraldine, you may return to yours. I am very sorry that I misjudged you; but really, you looked so guilty that I could not help thinking that you had something to do with the matter. Now, please, we will begin the lesson. We have wasted far too much time already."