"Of course not, if you're dead sure about the girl," Joey corrected miserably. "Only, it was dark, wasn't it? I was looking out of my window all the time, so I know how dark it was; and if you said you weren't quite sure, I know Miss Conyngham would rather believe a Redlands girl wasn't a mean outsider."
The Professor lifted his heavy lids and looked at her.
"You are a good pleader, Mees Joey Graham. So you looked from your bedroom for long and tink it too dark for me to see clear. I will go to Mees Conyngham now—and tell 'er dat I may 'ave been mistake'—on one condition—dat you do as you offer a while back and come to-morrow to 'elp me tidy de Lab. Ees dat a bargain? since I waste my time on preventing your Mees Noreen make de lie."
"Rather!" Joey cried joyfully. "I say, you are a good sort, and you shall just see how I'll tidy to-morrow. I suppose you wouldn't like me to bring Gabrielle and Noreen as well? I'm sure they would be most awfully pleased."
"No!" the Professor said sharply. "Bring no one, and tell no one. I do not want children running in and out; they disturb me."
"All right," Joey promised joyfully. "When shall I come?"
"At twelve, when you haf finished lessons, n'est-ce pas?" the Professor said, quite pleasantly for him, and Joey, with a heartfelt "Thank you," flew for her classroom at her best speed, arriving late, in company with two or three other laggards.
"Really, Jocelyn Graham, and you, Bernadine and Rhoda, you are too bad," Miss Lambton said indignantly. "Why can't you listen for the bell, instead of coming in late and disturbing us all in this way? Take a Rule, all three of you; and don't let it happen again."
The "Sorry, Miss Lambton," which Joey murmured was conventional entirely. She was not sorry at all, for she had a glorious conviction that the deed was done, and the College cleared.