"Truly, I did not mean to even imply that she was to blame in any way," she ended, almost apologetically, "but she seemed to think I was. I would never have spoken of it at all, if Rosalind had not told you while she was searching for her essay. Nobody was more surprised than I was when I found it. And even now I don't—I can't understand what it all means."
"I can," said Joan, addressing the company at large. "It means that Marcia is trying to put on Alison the onus of a thing she did herself, and couldn't quite succeed."
"Oh, but I couldn't think that of her," Alison cried, distressed.
"My dear Alison, the trouble is that you think everybody is as honest as yourself. People like that usually do get taken in."
"Well, we can't do anything about it now, and we had better not talk about it any more," pronounced Katherine. "Let's forget it. Talk about something else. For instance—has anyone seen my ring? I've lost it again."
"Not that lovely pearl ring of yours, Kathy?"
"Yes. I've missed it for a week, but I kept thinking it would turn up. I generally remember to take it off when I wash my hands, but I can't remember—I wash my hands so often—"
"Kathy, you really are too careless—"
"Oh, the girls all recognize it and give it back to me when they find it; but they always find it in less than a week."
"There are the maids," suggested Polly.