At last, however, Miss Steel buckled on her armor of decision, averted her eyes for a moment from Molly’s glowing face and plunged in.
“I don’t suppose, Miss Brown, you suspected my title of ‘Dormitory Inspector’ here was merely a nominal one, and that I had another motive in being at Wellington College?”
Molly hardly liked to tell her that they had long considered her a spy and detested her for that reason. She said nothing, therefore, and sat in her favorite position when listening intently with her hands clasping one knee and her shoulders drooping; a very wrong position indeed, considering that it would eventually make her round-shouldered and hollow chested; but Molly was never more graceful or comfortable than when she adopted this unhealthful attitude.
“I am an inspector,” went on the other, “but I am an inspector of police, that is, a detective. Doubtless you have heard of certain mysterious things that have happened at Wellington this autumn; the attempt to burn the gymnasium, which we now believe was only a practical joke to frighten the sophomore class; the cutting of the electric wires one night, and there are a few other things you have not heard; for instance, Miss Walker has received lately several anonymous letters—two of them about you——”
Molly started.
“About me?” she exclaimed.
“Yes,” said Miss Steel, watching her closely. “But they were not disagreeable letters, strange to say, since anonymous letters usually are. They expressed the most ardent admiration for you. They mentioned that you had enemies who were trying to ruin your reputation.”
“How absurd!” exclaimed Molly indignantly. She detested anything deceitful and underhand with all her soul. “When did these letters come?”
“Just since you have been at the Infirmary.”
“They must be about the emerald ring,” broke in Molly.