They went first of all into Leucha's room, which looked perfectly snug and comfortable, all trace of the cat having been removed.
'I see nothing wrong here,' said Mrs Macintyre.
'She is too cute; she has hidden everything,' said Leucha.
'Well, we 'll go to her room. Her room is next to yours. I thought, being contrasts, you would be such friends.'
Leucha shrugged her shoulders contemptuously, then waited with a furiously beating heart while Mrs Macintyre knocked at Holly's door.
'May I come in, my dear child?' she said gently.
'Yes.' Hollyhock flew to the door and flung it open. 'Yes, please do, dear Mrs Macintyre. I know I am a bold, bad girl.—Come in, Leuchy; I don't mind you a bit.'
'But how swollen your cheek is, my child!' said the head-mistress.
'Oh, that's less than nothing. Poor little Jean is sleeping under my bed, and if we talk too loud we may disturb her. I did it for mischief. I 'm not going to deny it. I wanted to be friends with Leuchy, but she would not have it; so then the soul of mischief got into me, and I ran home to The Garden and fetched the cat, and put her into Leuchy's bed. Oh! I know it was wrong of me. I 'm a bad Scots lassie. But I love you, and I love the school, if only Leuchy there would be friendly.'
'Which I have no intention of being,' said Leucha. 'You see for yourself, Mrs Macintyre, she denies nothing. She ran away without leave to fetch that odious cat and put it in my bed.'