said Mrs. Willis, when Cecil had left the room. "Only some very
strong motive would make Cecil Temple behave as she is now doing. She is
influenced by a mistaken idea of what is right; she wishes to shield the
guilty person. I may as well tell you all, young ladies, that, dear as
Cecil is to me, she is now under the ban of my severe displeasure. Until
she confesses the truth and humbles herself before me, I cannot be
reconciled to her. I cannot permit her to associate with you. She has
done very wrong, and her punishment must be proportionately severe. There
is one chance for her, however. Will the girl whom she is mistakenly,
though generously, trying to shield, come forward and confess her guilt,
and so release poor Cecil from the terrible position in which she has
placed herself? By doing so, the girl who has caused all this misery will
at least show me that she is trying to repent?"

Mrs. Willis paused again, and now she looked down the room with a face of
almost entreaty. Several pairs of eyes were fixed anxiously on her,
several looked away, and many girls glanced in the direction of Annie
Forest, who, feeling herself suspected, returned their glances with bold
defiance, and instantly assumed her most reckless manner.

Mrs. Willis waited for a full minute.

"The culprit is not noble enough," she said then. "Now, girls, I must ask
each of you to come up one by one and deny or confess this charge. As you
do so, you are silently to leave the school-room and go up to your rooms,
and prepare for the walk which has been so painfully delayed. Miss
Conway, you are at the head of the school, will you set the example?"

One by one the girls of the head class stepped up to their teacher, and
of each one she asked the same question:

"Are you guilty?"

Each girl replied in the negative and walked out of the school-room. The
second class followed the example of the first, and then the third class
came up to their teacher. Several ears were strained to hear Annie
Forest's answer, but her eyes were lifted fearlessly to Mrs. Willis'
face, and her "No!" was heard all over the room.

CHAPTER XII.

IN THE CHAPEL.

The bright light from a full noontide sun was shining in colored bars
through the richly-painted windows of the little chapel when Mrs. Willis
sought Cecil Temple there.

Cecil's face was in many ways a remarkable one.

Her soft brown eyes were generally filled with a steadfast and kindly
ray. Gentlene