Joey was sleepy, and did not get up till the last possible minute; and then it meant a frantic scramble to get dressed in time, and no chance of talking to the others.
As it was, she was just a moment late, but grace had not yet been said, for the girls were still standing round the tables, so she hoped to escape the order mark which was her due. She slid noiselessly into her place, and then became aware that Miss Conyngham was speaking—Miss Conyngham, who never appeared at breakfast, but had it in a stately manner, befitting Head Mistresses, in her own room. She was standing at the top of the long centre table, where Ingrid and other great seniors sat, and there was a little line drawn between her eyebrows, as though she were worried. She was evidently in the middle of a sentence. Joey listened, trying to make out what it was all about.
"... And when Professor Trouville went to the Lab before breakfast this morning somebody had been there, breaking bottles, mixing specimens, and doing other acts of altogether stupid and unreasonable mischief. The door was as usual locked; the girl, whoever she was, had got in at the window by the steps, which Professor Trouville had for once left open. That being so, I quite exonerate the juniors; no girl under thirteen could scramble up to that window. Professor Trouville tells me that he has had trouble with several of the girls in Remove II. B; if any girl there has done this wrong and foolish thing, it is up to her to own it now—for the honour of a school which does not turn out cowards."
There was a thrilling pause, while Miss Conyngham's far-seeing eyes looked round expectantly, and the Professor stood just behind her, silent, watchful, impassive, with half-closed lids. Miss Conyngham seemed to have no doubt that somebody was going to speak—a little of the colour faded from her face and the light from her eyes, when there came only silence.
"I trust the girl who has done this thing to tell us now," she said.
And still there was silence.
Miss Conyngham's face grew a little stern. "If any girl here knows anything of the matter, though not herself responsible, I wish her to speak out."
Still silence. The Professor whispered something to Miss Conyngham; she shook her head, then spoke to the senior mistress present:
"Breakfast had better go on now, Miss Wrestow; I will deal with this matter later."
She went out, followed by the Professor.