but she avoided
the gaze, and went on stolidly with her bread and butter as if nothing
had happened. When Cicely made a like effort she fared the same. What
had Merle seen? How they longed for tea to be over, that they might hear
of her discovery! They hoped she would not reveal it to any of the other
girls first, and they looked on in quite a fever of anxiety whenever she
spoke to Elsie Ryder or Marjorie Butler, who sat one on either side of
her.

"She doesn't know what we suspect about Mrs. Wilson," whispered Lindsay.
"She may be letting out something it would be far better, for Monica's
sake, not to tell."

The moment the meal was finished the two girls followed Merle into the
garden, but, greatly to their surprise, she took no notice of them, and
began to play tennis.

"I expect she's waiting for a safer time. Of course it wouldn't do for
her to be seen talking to us so particularly. We'll stay here while she
finishes her set," said Cicely.

The game lasted until preparation, and then Merle walked away with such
an evident intention of escaping from them that the two were most
indignant.

"What does she mean?" burst out Lindsay.

"Do you think she's offended because we didn't go up at once?" returned
Cicely. "She doesn't know yet that Miss Frazer stopped us. We must
explain it as soon as we can."

They tried to get hold of Merle after supper, but she kept persistently
to Elsie Ryder's company, and would not give them any opportunity of
speaking to her in private, so they were obliged to go to bed in a
horrible state of suspense. Next morning things were just as bad. There
was no mistaking the fact that Merle wished to avoid them, and it was
only with the greatest difficulty that they succeeded at last in
catching her alone.

"What do you want?" she enquired abruptly. "Please don't go chasing me
about like this all over the school."

"We want to know what you saw in the lantern room, of course," replied
Lindsay.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

"Not tell us!"

Lindsay and Cicely could scarcely believe the evidence of their own
ears.

"No, it's quite impossible."

"But why?"

"Simply that I can't."

"Were you offended, Merle, because we didn't come when you called us?"
asked Cicely.

"We were hurrying up as fast as we could, only Miss Frazer stopped us
and made us tidy our drawers. It wasn't our fault," added Lindsay
apologetically.

"No, I'm not offended in the least. I'm very gl