Mrs.
Willis returns she shall be told what a serpent she has been nursing in
this false, wicked girl, Annie Forest."

"Stop, Dora," said Hester suddenly. She sprang to her feet, clasping her
hands, and her color varied rapidly from white to red. A sudden light
poured in upon her, and she was about to speak when something--quite a
small, trivial thing--occurred. She only saw little Nan in the distance
flying swiftly, with outstretched arms, to meet a girl, whose knees she
clasped in baby ecstasy. The girl stooped down and kissed the little
face, and the round arms were flung around her neck. The next instant
Annie Forest continued her walk alone, and Nan, looking wistfully back
after her, went in another direction with her nurse. The whole scene took
but a moment to enact, but as she watched, Hester's face grew hard and
white. She sat down again, with her lips firmly pressed together.

"What is it, Hester?" exclaimed Dora. "What were you going to say? You
surely know nothing about this?"

"Well, Dora, I am not the guilty person. I was only going to remark that
you cannot be _sure_ it is Annie Forest."

"Oh, so you are going to take that horrid girl's part now? I wonder at
you! She all but killed your little sister, and then stole her love away
from you. Did you see the little thing now, how she flew to her? Why, she
never kisses you like that."

"I know--I know," said Hester, and she turned away her face with a groan,
and leaned forward against the rustic bench, pressing her hot forehead
down on her hands.

"You'll have your triumph, Hester, when Miss Forest is publicly
expelled," said Dora, tapping her lightly on the shoulder, and then,
taking up the forged essay, she went slowly out of the garden.

CHAPTER XXXI.

GOOD AND BAD ANGELS.

Hester stayed behind in the shady little arbor, and then, on that soft
spring day, while the birds sang overhead, and the warm light breezes
came in and fanned her hot cheeks, good angels and bad drew near to fight
for a victory. Which would conquer? Hester had many faults, but hitherto
she had been honorable and truthful; her sins had been those of pride and
jealousy, but she had never told a falsehood in her life. She knew
perfectly--she trembled as the full knowledge overpowered her--that she
had it in her power to exonerate Annie. She could not in the least
imagine how stupid Susan Drummond could contrive and carry out such a
clever and deep-laid plot; but she knew