Part 24 (2/2)

Miss Meredith held a reception afterwards on the lawn, for it was a perfect June day. Judith carried her prizes proudly for Aunt Nell and Uncle Tom to inspect.

”I didn't trip after all, Aunt Nell,” she said laughingly; ”if you only knew how relieved I was to think that I had made my curtsey and was down from the platform without mishap!”

Jack and Tom with Sally May and Nancy joined the group and congratulations were the order of the day. Sally May had a prize for sketching to exhibit, and Nancy one for fine sewing.

It was a gay, delightful party, and when messengers began to send round word that actors and committee members must go in for early tea in order to be ready in good time for the play, Judith could hardly believe that prize-giving was really over.

Judith and Nancy had still so much to discuss concerning the day's happenings that they refused to be separated, and Judith, who was to help change the scenery, established Nancy in a corner beside her so that she could share in the fun behind the scenes.

Nancy was loud in her praises of the quaintness of the stage-setting, and Judith, feeling delightfully superior and important, enjoyed herself enormously showing Nancy how they had contrived this and that to better the effect.

Peeping around one corner of the curtain they could see the audience arriving, and behind in the make-up room there was a buzz of voices and a general feeling of excitement which was quite thrilling.

Presently the hall was full, the orchestra had finished their overture, and had begun all over again, but the actors did not appear. Something must have gone wrong.

”Miss Marlowe _will_ be annoyed,” whispered Judith to Nancy. ”She simply hates being late.” And curiosity tempted her to slip into the dressing-room to see what was happening.

The room was humming with repressed excitement; last touches of rouge were being added; Lady Catherine de Burgh was walking solemnly up and down before a mirror practising the art of making her plumes ”nod majestically,” Sally May was saying feverishly over and over again, ”My dear Mr. Bennet, have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”--”If I can just keep talking I won't be nervous,” she confided to Jane--”My dear Mr. Bennet, have you heard that Netherfield Park--”; Althea (Bingley) was practising bows with Josephine in a secluded corner of the adjoining room, and Catherine was having the finis.h.i.+ng touches put to her pretty curls. Everything seemed as it should be--no, Mr.

Bennet (Molly Seaton) was protesting almost tearfully to Miss Marlowe, ”It was never given to me: Patricia said it was late and she'd look after it.” Judith's face flamed--Molly's wig! She had entirely forgotten it!

”Where is Patricia?” said Miss Marlowe in a voice whose quality made the room suddenly become perfectly quiet. Judith tried to speak, but her lips and throat had suddenly become quite dry. How could she tell Miss Marlowe it was her fault!

Sally May was speaking--something about a telegram and Patricia--Judith didn't hear her--a furious argument was raging within her--with lightning-like speed Top Self and Deep-Down Self strove for mastery.

”How can you tell Miss Marlowe it's your fault--after the way you've been trusted and looked up to?--It was Josephine's job, anyway--you did yours”--”But of course you can't let Patricia be blamed”--”Miss Marlowe will never forgive you”--”You can't let Patricia be blamed for it--you WERE to remind--”

The silence had penetrated to the far corner and as Judith opened her lips to speak, Josephine's horrified tones were heard.

”It's my fault, Miss Marlowe, Patricia asked me to look after it.”

”You, Josephine?” Miss Marlowe's tones were icy. ”Well, you have been consistently careless all year: I wonder that you were given any responsibility.”

Judith could not bear that.

”Miss Marlowe,” she began in a voice which sounded curiously thin and weak.

But the words were drowned in Sally May's shout:

”Why, here's the box--it's been under this cloak all the time.”

The others bent forward to see the precious wig, and Top Self was quick to make one more effort.

”What a little thing to make such a tremendous fuss about! No one has seen you--just slip off again to your post, and when Josephine tells you about it you can take your share of the blame then--Miss Marlowe doesn't want to be bothered with any one else confessing to something that's all over with now--why, it will even look like pretending to be too honest if you interrupt her now--”

Top Self probably had any number of arguments besides; these flashed through her mind in a second, but Deep-Down Self answered them in a most wonderful way and just as quickly. Thinking about it afterwards, Judith couldn't understand how the most important thing that had happened to her during the whole year could have occurred in a second or two, and she found it very difficult to put into words, even for herself, just how Deep-Down Self had conquered. It seemed as if suddenly those who stood for the best and finest things in York Hill rose in her mind and confronted Top Self--Catherine, Nancy, Josephine, Eleanor, Miss Marlowe, Miss Ashwell, Miss Meredith--and when Judith had seen them she turned again to Top Self--but Top Self had gone!

It had only taken a second of time, but even in that second fresh tragedy had been added. The wig was a beautiful golden blonde!

”Quick, give me the powder,” Miss Marlowe was saying. ”Somebody get the charcoal; we'll have to streak it a bit to make it grey.”

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