er again, "My
dear Mr. Bennet, have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at
last?"--"If I can just keep talking I won't be nervous," she confided to
Jane--"My dear Mr. Bennet, have you heard that Netherfield Park--";
Althea (Bingley) was practising bows with Josephine in a secluded corner
of the adjoining room, and Catherine was having the finishing touches
put to her pretty curls. Everything seemed as it should be--no, Mr.
Bennet (Molly Seaton) was protesting almost tearfully to Miss Marlowe,
"It was never given to me: Patricia said it was late and she'd look
after it." Judith's face flamed--Molly's wig! She had entirely forgotten
it!

"Where is Patricia?" said Miss Marlowe in a voice whose quality made the
room suddenly become perfectly quiet. Judith tried to speak, but her
lips and throat had suddenly become quite dry. How could she tell Miss
Marlowe it was her fault!

Sally May was speaking--something about a telegram and Patricia--Judith
didn't hear her--a furious argument was raging within her--with
lightning-like speed Top Self and Deep-Down Self strove for mastery.
"How can you tell Miss Marlowe it's your fault--after the way you've
been trusted and looked up to?--It was Josephine's job, anyway--you did
yours"--"But of course you can't let Patricia be blamed"--"Miss Marlowe
will never forgive you"--"You can't let Patricia be blamed for it--you
WERE to remind--"

The silence had penetrated to the far corner and as Judith opened her
lips to speak, Josephine's horrified tones were heard.

"It's my fault, Miss Marlowe, Patricia asked me to look after it."

"You, Josephine?" Miss Marlowe's tones were icy. "Well, you have been
consistently careless all year: I wonder that you were given any
responsibility."

Judith could not bear that.

"Miss Marlowe," she began in a voice which sounded curiously thin and
weak.

But the words were drowned in Sally May's shout:

"Why, here's the box--it's been under this cloak all the time."

The others bent forward to see the precious wig, and Top Self was quick
to make one more effort.

"What a little thing to make such a tremendous fuss about! No one has
seen you--just slip off again to your post, and when Josephine tells you
about it you can take your share of the blame then--Miss Marlowe doesn't
want to be bothered with any one else confessing to something that's all
over with now--why, it will even look like pretending to be too honest
if you interrupt her now--"