“Yes, Finnemore?” he said kindly.
“It was just the same for me. Mr. Meadowcroft, as for the girls.” Tommy said quietly. “I heard what you said the first time and of course I understood.”
“I daresay. Well, then none of you would seem to belong to the school whose discipline you have flouted. However, in the absence of the regular master, I am not going to put you out. I shall see to it, nevertheless, that so long as we all remain, you shall break no further rules. Also, penitent or impenitent, you shall do what is possible towards making up what you have lost. There are three weeks before the Easter holidays. During that period you are not to leave the school-grounds after you arrive in the morning until you go to the station at night. And beginning to-day the three of you are to remain after school every day until quarter-past four o’clock. The extra time is to be devoted solely to Latin Composition with a daily recitation beginning at half-past three. I shall do my best to prepare you to take the examination with the others on the last day of the term. Prepare the first lesson in the book for to-day, please.”
Tommy, who couldn’t help admiring the neatness of this arrangement even as he groaned within himself, raised his hand.
“That will make sixteen or seventeen lessons for us, and the rest of the class only gets about twelve in all, and Miss Cummings has a roomful to teach and you’ll only have us three,” he remarked ingenuously.
“A little extra drill won’t do any harm,” remarked Meadowcroft dryly. “I am hoping, indeed, to make the course thorough. That will do. You may go to your seats.”
CHAPTER XXX
AS she turned, Betty glanced fearfully at Rose. But even now poor Rose didn’t understand. As she made her way to her seat, she carried herself nonchalantly, putting out her tongue and grimacing when she was in such position as not to be seen from the master’s desk. It must come to her, however, and the thought of perpetual blindness might be her deathblow.
For now, absolutely the last ray of hope was blotted out. They were to be kept at school until quarter-past four every day, and Dr. Vandegrift left Millville ten minutes earlier on Wednesday. Everything had been wasted! All the doctor’s kindness and skill had been thrown away, and Rose was far worse off than if they had never begun the treatment. She would never get over the terrible disappointment of knowing that she might have been cured.
As for herself, Betty felt that it would kill her. She would have gone down on her knees to beg Dr. Vandegrift to allow her to say one word of explanation to Mr. Meadowcroft, but she knew that to be hopeless. He wouldn’t let her mention the matter. No, all hope was gone. She went about all day as if stunned. At the noon intermission, she couldn’t touch her luncheon. But after Rose had eaten hers with the wonted relish and a choice piece of chocolate cake from Betty’s basket, the latter went over with her the lesson assigned for reciting after school that afternoon. With that and an hour before the recitation, during which the girls were allowed to study together, they were well prepared with the lesson.