Chapter XVIII: Agnes Hosking Apologises

"VIOLET, it is time to get up."

Violet started up in bed and saw Ann standing by her side, fully dressed. The bright, morning sunshine had been streaming into the room for hours, but it had failed to awaken Violet, who, after Ann had left her on the previous night, had lain awake till nearly daybreak, too agitated to rest, and then had fallen into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

"Is it very late?" she asked, as she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"It's nearly breakfast-time. Get up and dress as quickly as you can; and, Violet, I waited up till mother and father came home last night and told them all about Agnes Hosking—I mean about her suspicion of you."

"Well?" questioned Violet, anxiously; "they don't believe that I know anything about the purse, do they?"

"No, certainly not."

"Did you explain to them how I came to get you to ask Agnes here?"

"Yes."

"Then they know everything?"

"Everything."

Violet asked no more questions, but jumped out of bed, and Ann left her to dress and went downstairs to the dining-room. Dr. Reed stood by the window, on the look-out for the postman; he glanced around with a smile as his daughter entered the room and gave her a hearty kiss as she joined him and slipped her arm through his.

"You look brighter than you did last night, my darling," he remarked affectionately; "worries never seem so formidable by daylight, do they?"

"No," she replied; "but I am still very unhappy about Violet, father. She declared last night that she would never enter the doors of Helmsford College again, and I am sure she meant it."

"Doubtless she did; but I believe she will change her mind this morning. Poor little thing, I am very sorry for her! Here comes the postman! Run and take the letters from him, my dear."

Ann obeyed. The letters proved all to be for her father, and scarcely had he finished reading them before Mrs. Reed and Violet entered the room, and the breakfast was brought in and placed on the table.

During the first part of the meal the conversation was on different subjects; but by-and-by Dr. Reed turned to Violet, who was hardly eating anything, and was looking nervous and ill at ease, and said with a kindliness of tone which brought the tears to her eyes:—

"Ann has been telling me that things have not been going very pleasantly for you at school this term, Violet; I am sorry to hear that."

"Oh, Dr. Reed, I cannot go back to Helmsford College now I know what Agnes Hosking has been saying of me!" Violet responded, almost tragically; "it is impossible!"

"Why?" inquired the doctor quietly.

"Why? Do you think I can endure to be in the company of those who consider me a thief?" Violet asked, casting a glance full of reproach at him, her voice trembling with excessive agitation.

"You cannot?" he questioned. "I should not have thought you were one to play the coward like that. Of course I cannot insist on your returning to school against your will, I should not dream of doing that; but I certainly advise you strongly to go with Ann this morning in the usual way. An unjust suspicion has been laid upon you, which I admit is very galling and hard to bear, and some few of your school-fellows have allowed an ill-natured girl to prejudice them against you, but I understand that you have your supporters at Helmsford College, and if I were you I would face this unpleasant affair and not run away from it. You have nothing to be ashamed of—that is, as far as the loss of the purse is concerned," he concluded, and Violet knew he was thinking of the motive which had influenced her in obtaining Agnes' invitation to his house.

"What do you imagine would be thought of you at school if you left suddenly in the middle of the term, Violet?" asked Mrs. Reed; "perhaps you have not considered that. I am sure, upon reflection, that you will see my husband is right. To my mind it is always better to face a trouble than to turn one's back on it. Do you know what I would do if I were you? I would take no notice of Agnes Hosking's cruel insinuations, I would show myself above noticing them. Depend upon it, that is the wisest way for you to act, and time will show that you have been most unjustly suspected. We, that is my husband, and Ann, and I, all know that now; and you must not fancy, my dear, that we do not fully sympathise with you, for indeed we do. We are more grieved on your account than we can express."

They had done breakfast now, and, as his wife finished speaking, Dr. Reed pushed back his chair from the table. Violet addressed him quickly:—

"I hope I don't seem ungrateful," she said, "please believe I am not that. I—I want to do what is right, and, if you think it will be best, of course I will go to school as usual."

"I am sure that will be best," Dr. Reed answered, looking pleased; "I did not think your father's daughter would prove a coward and run away."

He left the room without saying any more, and, half-an-hour later, the two girls went to school, both feeling depressed, but on the best of terms with each other.

Ann knew that it was her mother's intention to call on Miss Orchardson and inform her what the result of Agnes Hosking's visit to No. 8 Laureston Square had been, but she did not tell Violet that; therefore, when, in the midst of a French lesson, in the afternoon, a messenger from Miss Orchardson appeared in the class-room where it was being given, desiring that Miss Hosking might be sent to her in her private sitting-room, Ann was the only one in the class who was able to guess why she was wanted.

Agnes stood in awe of the headmistress, and her expression was one of decided uneasiness as she left the room. She was not absent very long, and when she returned, looking pale and rather frightened, Miss Orchardson was with her.

"I am sorry to interrupt the class, mademoiselle," the headmistress said, addressing the French governess; "but Agnes Hosking has an apology to make to Violet Wyndham, which it is my desire should be made publicly. As you are all aware, Agnes was so unfortunate as to lose a valuable purse last term, and it appears that she gave out that she suspected Violet Wyndham of having taken it. She has confessed to me that she had no actual ground for her suspicion, and she wishes to apologise for the annoyance and unhappiness she has caused. She has behaved very badly, but an apology seems to be the only reparation she can make."

Violet, in her surprise, looked far more confused than Agnes, who now mumbled a few words of apology and resumed her seat. Then Miss Orchardson left the room, and the French lesson was resumed. Soon after that work came to an end for the afternoon, and the day-scholars went home, whilst the boarders repaired to the playgrounds where Agnes' apology to Violet Wyndham formed the general topic of conversation.

Agnes herself had no idea who had made Miss Orchardson acquainted with her unscrupulous conduct, and she had been considerably alarmed at the extent of the headmistress' knowledge. She had been obliged to admit that she had no direct charge to bring against Violet, and had readily agreed to offer her an apology, glad to think the matter could be settled so easily.

"I did it to satisfy Miss Orchardson," she said to the girls, in answer to their curious inquiries, "but I have my own opinion all the same."

Meanwhile, Violet and Ann were on their homeward way together. There was a sparkle of triumph in Ann's grey eyes, for she was hopeful now that Violet's enemy had been completely routed.

"I wonder who can have told Miss Orchardson," said Violet, not a little puzzled at the turn events had taken; "was it you, Ann?"

"No. It was mother, I expect. She meant to, I know; for she and father agreed last night that it was not right to allow Agnes to continue to spread such a wicked story about you. Oh, Violet, I wish I had told mother what was going on at school weeks ago! She would have put a stop to it before. This only shows it's always right and best to be quite open about everything. By the way, have you told your people at home how unhappy you have been?"

"No; ought I to do so, do you think?"

"I hardly see how you could explain by letter."

"Ruth would blame me for having had anything to do with Agnes, I feel certain of that. She wrote and said she was greatly surprised when I told her we'd asked Agnes to tea. Perhaps I shall tell her all about that some day, and then she'll understand how it came about."

Ann looked thoughtful. She was thinking how strange it was that Violet should have minded her school-fellows knowing of the straitened circumstances of her people at home, and what great store she must set on money and position to have imagined that she had been slighted on account of her not possessing either the one or the other.

"I wonder if Agnes has heard of father's appointment, yet," Violet proceeded presently, "I wish she could have seen that paragraph about him in the newspaper Dr. Elizabeth sent to me, I almost wish I had kept it to show her, but I forwarded it to Ruth; I should like her to know that my people are shortly to be in a better position."

"I don't see that it matters whether she knows it or not," Ann replied, a trifle impatiently.

"No, of course it does not, but—oh, Ann, I don't believe you mind in the least what people think of you!"

"I mind what those I love think of me, but I don't bother about the opinions of others. Father says we should do what we believe to be right, be quite straight in every way, and never trouble about what people may be thinking."

"I wish I could do that!"

"Well, why can't you?"

"I don't know. I do mind what people think of me. Ruth used to say it was very weak and foolish of me, and I suppose it is."

"I am sure it is." Ann was silent for a moment, then she went on: "The first term I was at Helmsford College—I had a governess before that —the girls put me through a regular list of questions. It seemed they wanted to find out all about father's family—"

"How rude of them!" broke in Violet; "I hope you didn't gratify their curiosity? should have told them to mind their own business!"

"Well, I did nothing of the kind," Ann replied with a smile; "I told them about my grandfather, that he had been a working farmer who had laboured with his hands, and I told them all about dear old Granny, and how father had made his own way in the world—I was very proud to tell them that!"

"And were the girls as nice to you afterwards as they were before?" asked Violet, struck with amazement.

"Oh yes! I have always got on very well with all the girls; they are not so narrow-minded as you think them."

"It was very plucky of you to speak out," said Violet, "I'm sure I could not have done it myself. Oh, Ann, you believe I love father, don't you?"

"Why, of course I do!"

"And yet I've been so ashamed that people should know he was not a prosperous man. That's one point on which Ruth and I have been so different. You're like Ruth. I believe if you knew her you'd like her much better than you do me."

"I don't believe I should. People who are alike never get on so well together as those who are not; I have often heard that remarked, haven't you?"

"Yes; but Ruth is nicer than I am in every way, she's so unselfish and sweet-tempered."

They were nearly at home now, and, in turning the corner of the street which led into Laureston Square, they came face to face with Dr. Elizabeth Ridgeway, who stopped to speak to them for a minute.

"I have been to see your father, to make an appointment with him to meet me to-morrow," she explained to Ann, "I want his opinion of a patient of mine—that poor girl, Malvina Medland."

"Is she worse?" Ann questioned, in dismay.

Dr. Elizabeth briefly assented; then, being apparently in a hurry, she said good-bye and went on her way. Violet and Ann exchanged concerned glances, and the latter said, with a serious shake of the head:—

"She must be very ill if Dr. Elizabeth wants father to see her. Oh, Violet, I do hope she is not going to die!"