a book of Mrs.
Browning's, out of which she was learning a piece for recitation, with
its cover half torn off, and, still worse, a caricature of Mrs. Willis
sketched with some cleverness and a great deal of malice on the
title-page. On the very same morning, Dora Russell, on opening her desk,
was seen to throw up her hands with a gesture of dismay. The neat
composition she had finished the night before was not to be seen in its
accustomed place, but in a corner of the desk were two bulky and
mysterious parcels, one of which contained a great junk of rich
plum-cake, and the other some very sticky and messy "Turkish delight;"
while the paper which enveloped these luxuries was found to be that on
which the missing composition was written. Dora's face grew very white,
she forgot the ordinary rules of the school, and, leaving her class,
walked down the room, and interrupted Miss Good, who was beginning to
instruct the third class in English grammar.

"Will you please come and see something in my desk, Miss Good?" she said
in a voice which trembled with excitement.

It was while she was speaking that Cecil found the copy of Mrs. Browning
mutilated, and with the disgraceful caricature on its title-page.
Startled as she was by this discovery, and also by Miss Russell's
extraordinary behavior, she had presence of mind enough to hide the sight
which pained her from her companions. Unobserved, in the strong interest
of the moment, for all the girls were watching Dora Russell and Miss
Good, she managed to squeeze the little volume into her pocket. She had
indeed received a great shock, for she knew well that the only girl who
could caricature in the school was Annie Forest. For a moment her
troubled eyes sought the ground, but then she raised them and looked at
Annie; Annie, however, with a particularly cheerful face, and her bright
dark eyes full of merriment, was gazing in astonishment at the scene
which was taking place in front of Miss Russell's desk.

Dora, whose enunciation was very clear, seemed to have absolutely
forgotten herself; she disregarded Miss Good's admonitions, and declared
stoutly that at such a moment she did not care what rules she broke. She
was quite determined that the culprit who had dared to desecrate her
composition, and put plum-cake and "Turkish delight" into her desk,
should be publicly exposed and punished.

"The thing cannot go on any longer, Miss Good," she said; "there is a
girl in this school