She did not want the prize and Jane did, and the last fortnight’s unceasing talk about prizes had sickened her.
“I’ll go to Miss C—— to-night after lessons and tell her I’d rather not have it, as I don’t care for prizes.”
Having decided in her mind she began to screw her courage up to the right pitch.
But Jane came to her and began again lamenting her loss of the prize.
“Well,” said Deborah, for somehow or other she felt sorry for her, “you need not bother. I will not take the prize in any case—I don’t quite believe in them.”
“Do you mean to say if they offered it to you, you would not take it?”
“Yes.”
Jane went away.
Later in the evening she entered the room and went straight to Deborah.
“I am first on the list, you are only second,” she cried, and walked off without waiting for any reply.