Henrietta suddenly clutched one of her hands and kissed it.
"Oh, Dinah, Dinah dear!"
No words of any sort came from Dinah.
Henrietta was so weary that she dropped asleep. She slept all night long without moving.
Early in the morning Dinah got up. Henrietta was still sleeping. Dinah got out one of the hideous punishment dresses—the grey stuff with the ugly sort of white overall.
"I won't—I won't wear that," cried Henny.
Dinah made no comment, but just at this moment Nurse Annie appeared with a sitz-bath. Between Nurse Annie and Dinah, Henrietta was powerless. She was fed with bread-and-milk, quite nourishing and good. Then the punishment dress was put on. Afterwards, between Nurse Annie and Dinah, she went slowly downstairs to the great hall. Maureen was present and Daisy. Prayers were about to begin.
All the love of all the world seemed to shine out of Maureen's eyes. Every girl in the school stared at the culprit in the punishment dress, but Maureen did not even see the dress. She was looking beyond it into the heart of the girl.
Prayers began as usual and came to an end. Then there was a pause, significant, rather appalling.
Suddenly Maureen rose and, taking Henrietta's little cold hand, said, "Come, darling!"