gh spoke. She was a very reserved English
girl, and had only been won over to Hollyhock by slow degrees. But,
once she was won over, her heart was in a state of intense and
passionate devotion. She would, in short, do anything for this radiant
young creature.

'Holly,' she said, as a slight pause in the animated conversation gave
her the chance she required, 'confession is good for the soul. Meg
knows that.-- Don't you, Meg?'

Meg shrugged her shoulders, looked sulky, and made no reply. But when
Hollyhock touched her gently on the arm, she snuggled up to her in a
kind of passionate love. She felt inclined to weep, for she knew that
she--yes, _she_--had caused the terrible discord and unhappiness which
now reigned in the school.

'I wish to say,' continued Agnes, 'that I am following in the footsteps
of a much finer character than my own. Leucha Villiers belongs to the
school'----

Hollyhock stirred restlessly.

'And Leucha is alone morning, noon, and night, except when she is busy
over her essay.'

'I--I'm _willing_'---- began Hollyhock.

'No, Holly darling, you are not to be put upon any more than you have
been!'

Similar remarks were made by a chorus of girls, who were really sick of
Leucha and her ways.

'I--I'm _willing_,' said Hollyhock, bringing out the words with a great
effort. 'But there, let things slide. I have my own troubles, and
what I do, I do alone; only you all hear me say, lassies, that I'm
_willing_.-- Now, then, Agnes, go on with your speech.'

'It's only this,' said Agnes, 'that, following in the steps of that
most noble creature, Meg Drummond, I also am confessing a little sin, a
small one at that; but I too must save my soul, girls, just as Meg had
to save hers.'

'Go ahead,' said Hollyhock.

'It was this very afternoon,' continued Agnes, 'when we were all busy
in the great warm schoolroom, no teachers being present, and we were
all occupied over our different competitions, each of us, of course,
hoping to win the prize given by the great Ardshiel. Well, it so
happened that Leucha Villiers's desk was next to mine, and Leucha
suddenly went out of the room, and a temptation swift and frightful
came over me. Nobody saw me do it, and why I did it I can never tell,
but do it I did; and if you 'll believe me, girls, I opened Leucha's
desk, no one seeing me at the job, and took out her paper on the
kitchen cat. I don't myself think she 'll get a prize from his Grace
for _t