Part 44 (1/2)

She reached the room. The door was shut. Very softly she turned the handle; it yielded to her pressure, and she went in.

The nurse turned at once to confront her. ”You mustn't come in here, miss.”

”I just want to fetch something from one of my drawers; I won't make the slightest noise,” said f.a.n.n.y. ”Please let me in.”

Sister Helen said nothing further. f.a.n.n.y softly opened one of the drawers. She knew the exact spot where the packet lay hidden. A moment later she had folded it up in some of her under-linen and conveyed it outside the room without Sister Helen suspecting anything. As soon as she found herself in the corridor she removed the packet from its wrappings and slipped it into her inner pocket. It must stay on her person for the present, for in no other place could it possibly be safe.

When she regained Miss Symes's room she found that lady already there.

She was making her toilet.

”Why, f.a.n.n.y,” she said, ”what have you been doing? You haven't, surely, been to your own room! Did Sister Helen let you in?”

”She didn't want to; but I required some--some handkerchiefs and things of that sort,” said f.a.n.n.y.

”Well, you haven't brought any handkerchiefs,” said Miss Symes. ”You have only brought a couple of night-dresses.”

”Sister Helen rather frightened me, and I just took these and ran away,”

answered the girl. Then she added, lowering her voice, ”How is Betty to-day?”

”You will hear all about Betty downstairs. It is time for you to go into the hall. Don't keep me, f.a.n.n.y.”

f.a.n.n.y, only too delighted, left the room. Now she was safe. The worst of all could not happen to her. When she reached the great central hall, where the girls usually met for a few minutes before breakfast, she immediately joined a large circle of girls of the upper school. They were talking about Betty. Among the group was Sibyl Ray. Sibyl was crying, and when f.a.n.n.y appeared she turned abruptly aside as though she did not wish to be seen. f.a.n.n.y, who had been almost jubilant at having secured the packet, felt a new sense of horror at Sibyl's tears. Sibyl was the sort of girl to be very easily affected.

As f.a.n.n.y came near she heard Susie Rushworth say to Sibyl, ”Yes, it is true; Betty has lost something, and if she doesn't find it she will--the doctor, the great London doctor, says that she will--die.”

Sibyl gave another great, choking sob.

f.a.n.n.y took her arm. ”Sibyl,” she said, ”don't you want to come for a walk with me during recess this morning?”

”Oh, I don't know, f.a.n.n.y!” said poor Sibyl, raising her eyes, streaming with tears, to f.a.n.n.y's face.

”Well, I want you,” said f.a.n.n.y. Then she added in a low tone, ”Don't forget Brighton and Aunt Amelia, and the excellent time you will have, and the positive certainty that before a year is up you will be a Speciality. Don't lose all these things for the sake of a little sentiment. Understand, too, that doctors are often wrong about people.

It is ridiculous to suppose that a strong, hearty girl like Betty Vivian should have her life in danger because you happened to find----”

”Oh, don't!” said Sibyl. ”I--I _can't_ bear it! I saw Sylvia and Hetty last night. I can't bear it!”

”You are a little goose, Sibyl! It's my opinion you are not well. You must cling to me, dear, and I will pull you through--see if I don't.”

As f.a.n.n.y took her usual place at the breakfast-table Susie Rushworth said to her, ”You really are kind to that poor little Sibyl, Fan. After all, we must have been a little hard on her last night. She certainly shows the greatest distress and affection for poor dear Betty.”

”I said she was a nice child. I shouldn't be likely to propose her for the club if she were not,” said f.a.n.n.y.

Susie said nothing more. All the girls were dull, grave, distressed. The twins were nowhere to be seen. Betty's sweet face, Betty's sparkling eyes, Betty's gay laugh, were conspicuous by their absence. Miss Symes did not appear at all.

When breakfast was over, and the brief morning prayers had been gone through by Mr. Fairfax--for these prayers were not said in the chapel--Mrs. Haddo rose and faced the school. ”Girls,” she said, ”I wish to let you all know that one of your number--one exceedingly dear to us all--is lying now at the point of death. Whether G.o.d will spare her or not depends altogether on her mind being given a certain measure of relief. I need not tell you her name, for you all know it, and I believe you are all extremely grieved at what has occurred. It is impossible for any of you to help her at this moment except by being extra quiet, and by praying to G.o.d to be good to her and her two little sisters. I propose, therefore, to make a complete alteration in the arrangements of to-day. I am going to send the whole of the upper school--with the exception of the members of the Speciality Club--to London by train. Two of the teachers, Mademoiselle and Miss Oxley, will accompany you. You will all be driven to the station, and win return to-night--having, I hope, enjoyed a pleasant day. By that time there may be good news to greet you. No lessons to-day for any of the upper school; so, girls, go at once and get ready.”

All the girls began now to leave the great hall, with the exception of the Specialities and Sibyl Ray.

”Go, Sibyl!” said f.a.n.n.y. ”What are you lingering for?”