"And I don't think you should tell her,—it may hurt her feelings," urged Lark.
"Have heretics feelings?" queried Carol. "I suppose it's a feeling of——"
"Carol! Will you quit talking for a minute! This is a serious matter. If she believes all that nonsense, she's no proper teacher and—and she'll have to be put out of the high school. And if she doesn't believe it, she's a martyr! I'm going to find out about it at once. Do you want to come with me?"
"I should say not," said the twins promptly.
"I think you're very foolish to go at all," added Lark.
"I wouldn't go for a dollar," declared Carol. "It'd be very interesting to see how a heretic feels, but I don't care to know how ordinary Christians feel when they fall into their hands. I'm not aching to see Miss Allen to-night."
So Prudence set forth, conscientiously, in the darkness. A brave and heroic thing for Prudence to do, for she was a cowardly creature at heart.
Miss Allen heard her voice in the lower hall, and came running down-stairs to meet her. "Come up," she cried eagerly, "come on up."
And before Prudence was fairly inside the door, she demanded, "What is it? Did you find out? Is it my fault?"
Then Prudence blushed and stammered, "Why—it sounds—silly but—they think you are a—heretic."