Part 36 (1/2)
”Oh! I don't know. This is dreadful; please relieve my anxiety.”
”You will not tell; you dare not!” said Evelyn, with pa.s.sion. ”If you did I would tell about Jasper-I would. Oh! I would not leave a stone unturned to make your life miserable. There, Sylvia, forgive me; I did not mean to scold. I like you so much, dear Sylvia; and I am so glad you have Jasper with you, and it suits me to perfection. But I did tear the leaves out of the book; yes, I did, and I am glad I did; and you must never, never tell.”
”But, Eve-oh, Eve! why did you do such a dreadful thing?”
”I did it in a fit of temper, to spite that horrid Miss Thompson; I hate her so! She was so intolerably cheeky; she made me stay in during recreation on the very first day, and she accused me of telling lies, and when she had left the room I saw the odious book lying on the table.
I had seen her reading it before, and I thought it was her book; and almost before I had time to think, the pages were out and torn up and in the fire. If I had known it was Miss Henderson's book, of course, I should not have done it. But I did not know. I meant to punish horrid old Thompson, and it seems I have succeeded better than I expected.”
”But, Eve-Eve, the whole school is suspected now. What are you going to do?”
”Do!” replied Evelyn. ”Nothing.”
”But you have been asked, have you not, whether you knew anything about the injury to the book?”
”I have, and I told a nice little whopper-a nice pretty little whopper-a dear, charming little whopper-and I mean to stick to it.”
”Eve!”
”You look shocked. Well, cheer up; it has not been your fault. I must confide in some one, so I have told you, and you may tell Jasper if you like. Dear old Jasper! she will applaud me for my spirit. Oh dear! do you know, Sylvia, I think you are rather a tiresome girl. I thought you too would have admired the plucky way I have acted.”
”How can I admire deceit and lies?” replied Sylvia in a low tone.
”You dare say those words to me!”
”Yes, I dare. Oh, you have made me unhappy! Oh, you have destroyed my day! Oh Eve, Eve, why did you do it?”
”You won't tell on me, please, Sylvia? You have promised that, have you not?”
”Oh, why should I tell? It is not my place. But why did you do it?”
”If you will not tell, nothing matters. I have done it, and it is not your affair.”
”Yes, it is, now that you have confided in me. Oh, you have made me unhappy!”
”You are a goose! But you may tell dear Jasper; and tell her too that her little Eve will wait for her at the turnstile on Tuesday night at nine o'clock. Now then, let's get ready or we shall be late for dinner.”
CHAPTER XX.-”NOT GOOD NOR HONORABLE.”
It was very late indeed when Sylvia got home. On this occasion she was not allowed to return to The Priory unaccompanied; Lady Frances insisted on Read going with her. Read said very little as the two walked over the roads together; but she was ever a woman of few words. Sylvia longed to question her, as she wanted to take as much news as possible to Jasper, but Read's face was decidedly uninviting. As soon as the woman had gone, Sylvia slipped round to the back entrance, where Jasper was waiting for her. Jasper had the gate ajar, and Pilot was standing by her side.
”Come, darling-come right in,” she said. ”The coast is clear, and, oh! I have a lot to tell you.”
She fastened the back gate, making it look as though it had not been disturbed for years, and a moment later the woman and the girl were standing in the warm kitchen.
”The door is locked, and he will not come,” said Jasper. ”He is quite well, and I heard him go up-stairs to his bed an hour ago.”
”And did he eat anything, Jasper?”