A little choked sound from next door assured the two that their shots were going home, and encouraged them to further efforts.
"I bet Muriel felt pretty ratty when the German turned tail," Phyllis went on maliciously. "Even Monica looked fed up—I guess she won't take German Gerry's part any more! And as for Muriel—I shouldn't think she'd ever speak to Gerry again! Muriel simply hates cowards."
Dorothy racked her brains for another hurting remark. But before she could think of one, rapid steps came down the corridor, and the next minute the cubicle curtain was thrust aside, and the head girl, flushed with indignation, appeared before the two conspirators' horrified eyes.
"There's one thing I hate even worse than cowards," said Muriel, with mingled contempt and anger, "and that is sneaks! It's one of the meanest, sneakiest things I ever heard of to go saying things like that about a person when you know they can overhear you! I'm not the least bit ratty with Gerry. She didn't do it on purpose, and she's sorry enough about it, anyway, without you two little worms rubbing it in like that. You just shut up and leave Gerry alone. If I hear you talking like that again I shall deal with you pretty severely."
For a moment the two girls were too thunderstruck at the Nemesis that had descended upon them to make any excuse for themselves. Then Dorothy rallied her failing powers.
"We're awfully sorry, Muriel," she murmured in a deprecating tone. "We didn't know Gerry was in her cubicle and could hear us."
Muriel gave a contemptuous sniff.
"Don't tell such lies! If you had said that you didn't know I could hear, I might have believed you. Go back to your cubicle at once, Dorothy, and finish changing there. You know quite well that you are not allowed to change in another girl's cubicle or talk in the dormitory unless you've got permission. You can both of you take a conduct mark for this little affair."
Then, having seen the abashed Dorothy depart to her own cubicle, the head girl turned to Cubicle Thirteen.
"Ready yet, Gerry?" she asked kindly.