"Oh, yes, yes, of course!" said the others, in the shy way in which schoolgirls allude to their deepest feelings.
"I wonder if Miss Leicester will come down to prayers," said Amy, after a pause.
"I don't know; perhaps there won't be any," said Hester. "How I wish," she added, with a sudden, vindictive smile, "that horrid Matilda were here!"
"Little wretch!" cried Amy. "Why should we be inflicted with her at this moment? Surely we have trouble enough."
"But for her it would never have happened," said Hester.
"Now, what in the world do you mean, Hetty?" cried half a dozen voices.
Hester looked mysterious. Molly's face became very white.
"I am bound in honor not to tell, girls," said Hester. "You must take the hint for what it is worth, and draw your own conclusions. You have observed a cloud between Kate and Molly."
"Yes, yes, of course we have!" cried half a dozen voices.
"Well, Matilda was at the bottom of it; I can't tell you particulars. But for Matilda, Kate mightn't have gone on that botany expedition. But for Matilda, Molly, at least, would have accompanied her. There might not have been an accident; Kate might be well and happy, and working hard for her scholarship at the present moment."