Mrs. Freeman went away. The girls had no time to ask her a question. The head mistress was always quick and decisive in her movements. She was kind, even indulgent, but she was also firm. From Mrs. Freeman's decision each girl in the school felt there was no appeal.
As her retreating footsteps sounded on the winding stairs of the little tower, the girls who formed the committee for the Fancy Fair looked at one another. In Janet's gaze there were open-eyed consternation and dismay. Olive and Ruth appeared what they were: the very essence of uncertainty and nervousness. Frances Murray could not restrain an expression of triumph appearing in her bright eyes, while Dolly looked both glad and sorry.
"O Janet!" she said, "I wish I could take your side and my own. I wish I could obey dear Mrs. Freeman, and have our darling Evelyn to help us, and be one of us, and I also wish to do the thing that makes you happy."
"Oh, don't worry about me," said Janet. "Of course, the thing is inevitable. Under existing circumstances, I give in. I have only one request to make, girls, and that is, that you will not betray to Evelyn Percival, who, of course, will take the lead now in the management of the Fancy Fair, the very frank objections I have made to having her with us. We must welcome her, of course, with a good grace, and I trust to you all to keep my little remarks to yourselves."
"Of course, of course, Janey," they each eagerly replied.
"As if we could be so mean as to tell," remarked Ruth, going up to her friend and giving her hand a squeeze.
Janet did not return the pressure of Ruth's hand. She turned abruptly to Dorothy.
"Evelyn is to be found in the summerhouse. Will you go and fetch her at once, Dolly?"
Dorothy ran off without another word. While she was absent Janet kept her back to her friends. She generally carried a little sketchbook in her pocket; she took it out now, and under the shelter of her parasol pretended to sketch the lovely summer landscape which surrounded her.
The other girls who were watching saw, however, that her small, dainty fingers scarcely moved.