"I shan't," answered Miss Impett.
"You must," commanded Miss Allen under her breath. "Keeves might hear."
"What if she does! As likely as not she herself's in the way," said Miss Potter.
Mavis, who had been trying not to listen to the previous conversation, felt both hot and cold at the same time. The blood rushed to her head. The next moment she sprang out of bed.
"How dare you, how dare you say that?" she cried, her eyes all ablaze.
"Say what?" asked Miss Potter innocently.
"That. I won't foul my lips by repeating it. How dare you say it? How dare you say that you didn't say it?"
"Well, you shouldn't listen," remarked Miss Potter sullenly.
Mavis advanced menacingly to the side of the girl's bed.
"If you think you can insult me like that, you're mistaken," said Mavis, with icy calmness, the while she trembled in every limb.