Part 42 (1/2)
”Oh, yes-- yes! that would be much the best thing to do.”
”You are to go home, remember.”
”Yes, I will certainly go home. But, Maggie, I have no money-- I have literally no money.”
”I will ask Priscilla Peel to go with you to the railway station, and I will give her sufficient money to pay your fare to London-- you live in London, don't you?”
”Yes, at Bayswater.”
”What is your address”
”19 Queen Street, Bayswater.”
”Priscilla shall telegraph to your mother, when you start, and ask her to meet you at King's Cross.”
Rosalind's face grew paler and paler. ”What excuse am I to give to mother?” she asked.
”That is your own affair; I have no doubt you will find something to say. I should advise you, Rosalind, to tell your poor mother the truth, for she is certain to hear all about it from Miss Heath the following morning.”
”Oh, what a miserable, miserable girl I am, Maggie!”
”You are a very miserable and sinful girl; It was a wretched day for St. Benet's when a girl such as you are came to live here. But I don't want to speak of that now, Rosalind; there is something you must do before you leave.”
”What is that?”
”You must go to Priscilla Peel and humbly beg her pardon.”
”Oh, I cannot, I cannot! You have no idea how I hate Priscilla.”
”I am not surprised; the children of darkness generally hate those who walk in the light.”
”Maggie, I can't beg her pardon.”
”You can please yourself about that: I certainly shall not force you; but, unless you beg Priscilla's pardon and confess to her the wicked deed you have done, I shall lend you no money to go home. You can go to your room now, Rosalind; I am tired and wish to go to bed. You will be able to let me know your decision in the morning.”
Rosalind turned slowly away. She reached her room before the other girls had arrived home, and tossing the coral ornaments on her dressing-table, she flung herself across her bed and gave way to the most pa.s.sionate, heart-broken sobs that had ever rent her baby frame.
She was still sobbing, but more quietly, for the force of her pa.s.sion had exhausted her, when a very light touch on her shoulder caused her to raise herself and look up wildly. Prissie was bending over her.
”I knocked several times,” she said, ”but you did not hear me, so I came in. You will be sick if you cry like this, Rose. Let me help you go to bed.”
”No, no; please don't touch me. I don't want you, of all people, to do anything for me.”
”I wish you would let me undress you. I have often helped Aunt Raby to go to bed when she was very tired. Come, Rose, don't turn away from me. Why should you?”
”Priscilla, you are the last person in the world who ought to be kind to me just now; you don't know, you can never, never guess, what I did to you.”
”Yes, I can partly guess, but I don't want to think of it.”
”Listen, Prissie: when I stole that money, I hoped people would accuse you of the theft.”