Monsieur Gaufrau found his class unusually troublesome that morning. Julia and Kate, generally the two brightest and quickest of all his scholars, seemed now the most inattentive and dull; answering so at random, and appearing to pay so little heed to what they were doing and saying, as to make it very evident that their thoughts were taken up with something quite different from their lessons. As for luckless Fanny, her exercise was only half written, and full of mistakes; and she stumbled through the recitations in a disgraceful manner. Mary Merton could repeat her lessons; but her conduct was careless and defiant, and once, when the professor reproved her slightly, very impertinent.
The old gentleman's patience was quite at an end. Bad marks—sadly deserved, too—went down to the credit of all four; and the long-threatened complaint to Mrs. Ashton was made, including Mary as well as Fanny.
"Much any one has gained by that performance of to-day," said Julia Grafton, as she and her three guilty companions stood together at the corner of the square, after school was dismissed. "Fanny certainly is no better off, and here are three more of us in trouble through the worry and fuss of it."
"Why don't you preach a sermon on it, and take as a text, 'The way of transgressors is hard'?" said Mary Merton scornfully.
"And so she might with truth," said Kate. "I am sure we are finding it so."
"Dear me!" said Fanny; "if you think it such an awful sin just to move back the hands of the clock a little, what did you do it for?"
"Because I did not think," said Kate sadly. "Oh, if I only had, I should never have done it! And now, how are we to get out of the difficulty? Why didn't I tell Mrs. Ashton at once?"
"I do not see where the difficulty is, if only Bessie Bradford does not betray us," said Mary. "Mrs. Ashton suspects nothing, and is not likely to ask any questions now. In spite of my fright, I could not help laughing to see those two complimenting one another,—Monsieur bowing and scraping, and assuring Mrs. Ashton that he was 'désolé' at being so late; and Madame, with her gracious air, excusing him, and blaming the poor clock. The only thing I am afraid of is that child."
"She has told it all at home by this time," said Fanny.
"Not she," said Kate. "She promised she wouldn't."