y, leaving not the least
sign or clue behind her. Where had she gone? Janie could scarcely
venture a guess. Such a daring scheme as a return to Ireland did not
even suggest itself to her less enterprising mind. Perhaps, she
thought, Honor might have set out to try to find the man Blake, and ask
him to come and show the Jubilee sovereign to Miss Maitland; but this
seemed so at variance with her determination of last night that Janie
could hardly consider it probable. She wondered if it were her duty to
go and tell Miss Maitland immediately, but came to the conclusion that,
as the bell would ring in a few minutes, she might put off giving the
information until she had dressed.

Her news naturally caused the greatest consternation at head-quarters.
Steps were taken at once to institute a search for the runaway. Miss
Cavendish communicated with the police, who, exactly as Honor had
anticipated, enquired at the railway station and the pier at Dunscar,
in case she had taken the train or the steamer; and caused the high
roads to be watched. It did not occur to anybody that she would have
ventured on such an undertaking as to cross the moors, and she had the
advantage of several hours' start, so that, from her point of view, her
plan was a success.

"You should have come to me instantly, Janie, when you made the
discovery that she was gone," said Miss Maitland reproachfully. "We
have lost at least three-quarters of an hour through your delay."

Poor Janie burst into tears. It had been very hard to be obliged to
reveal the fact of her room-mate's flight at all. She felt that,
utterly against her will, she had the whole time been the principal
witness in Honor's disfavour, and that every word she had spoken had
helped to confirm unjust suspicion. She would have made an attempt to
plead her friend's cause if Miss Maitland had looked at all
encouraging, but the mistress was anxious to waste no further time, and
dismissed her summarily from the room.

Janie had taken the affair as much to heart as if the disgrace were her
own. It seemed so particularly unfortunate that it should have
happened, because, since their talk at St. Kolgan's Abbey, she had
thought that Honor was making increased efforts, and that Miss Maitland
had noticed and approved the change. Now all this advance appeared to
be swept away, and in the opinion of both teachers and girls her friend
was not fit to remain any longer on the roll of Chessington.

Althou