“And I cannot go because of my shabby, shabby dress,” she thought. “But why should I not wear the beautiful dress I had yesterday and venture to church?”
No sooner had the thought come to her than she returned, dashed in by the back entrance, desired Pilot to stay where he was, flew up-stairs, dressed herself recklessly in her rich finery of yesterday, and started off for church. She had a fancy to go to the church on the top of the hill, but she had to walk fast to reach it. She did arrive there a little late. The verger showed her into a pew half-way up the church. One or two people turned to stare at the handsome girl. The brilliant color was in her cheeks from the quickness of her walk. She dropped on her knees and covered her face; all was confusion in her mind. In the Squire’s pew, a very short distance away, sat Audrey and Evelyn. Could Evelyn indeed mean to pray? Of what sort of nature was Evelyn made? Sylvia felt that she could not meet her eyes.
“Some people who are not good, who are not honorable, go to church,” she thought to herself. “It is very sad and very puzzling.”
CHAPTER XXI.—THE TORN BOOK.
On the following morning Audrey and Evelyn started off for school. On the way Audrey turned to her companion.
“I wonder if anything has been discovered with regard to the injured book?” she said.
“Oh, I wish you would not talk so continually about that stupid old fuss!” said Evelyn in her crossest voice.
“It is useless to shirk it,” was Audrey’s reply. “You do not suppose for a single moment that Miss Henderson will not get to the bottom of the mischief? For my part, I think I could understand a girl doing it just for a moment in a spirit of revenge, although I have never yet felt revengeful to any one—but how any one could keep it up and allow the school to get into trouble is what puzzles me.”
“Were you ever at school before, Audrey?” was Evelyn’s remark.
“No; were you?”