“Silence,” said Miss Eccleston. She put down her note-book. “I wish for no conversation between you at the present moment, young ladies. Good-evening, Miss Oliphant; I am pleased to see you here. I shall have a few questions to ask you in a minute. Now, Miss Singleton, if you please, we will resume our conversation. You have confessed to the fact of the auction. I wish now to ascertain what your motive was.”
Poor Polly stammered and reddened, twisted her hands as badly as Prissie herself could have done, and looked to right and left of her in the most bewildered and unhappy manner.
“Don’t you hear me, Miss Singleton? I wish to know what your motive was in having an auction in Katharine Hall,” repeated Miss Eccleston.
“Tell her the truth,” whispered Maggie.
Polly, who was in a condition to catch even at a straw for support, said, falteringly—
“I had the auction in my room because of dad.” Miss Eccleston raised her brows. The amused smile of sorrow round Miss Heath’s mouth became more marked. She came forward a few steps, and stood near Miss Eccleston.
“You must explain yourself, Miss Singleton,” repeated the latter lady.
“Do tell everything,” said Maggie, again.
“Dad is about the only person I hate vexing,” began Polly once more. “He is awfully rich, but he hates me to get into debt, and—and—there was no other way to raise money. I couldn’t tell dad—I—couldn’t keep out of debt, so I had to sell my things.”
“You have made a very lame excuse, Miss Singleton,” said Miss Eccleston, after a pause. “You did something which was extremely irregular and improper. Your reason for doing it was even worse than the thing itself. You were in debt. The students of St. Benet’s are not expected to be in debt.”