e this, she changed the dress she was
wearing for a coat and skirt of neat blue serge and a little cap to
match. She wrote out labels at her desk and gummed them on the trunks.
She examined the contents of her purse; she had two or three pounds of
her own. She could, therefore, do pretty much what she pleased.

But although Fanny Crawford had acted perhaps worse than any other girl
had acted in the school before, she scorned to run away. She would go
openly; she would defy Mrs. Haddo. Mrs. Haddo could not possibly keep a
girl of Fanny's age--for she would soon be seventeen--against her will.
Having packed her trunks, Fanny went downstairs. The rest of the upper
school were busy at their lessons. Sibyl Ray, who had returned to the
lower school, was of course nowhere in sight. Fanny marched bravely down
the corridor, along which she had hurried yesterday in nameless fear
and trepidation. She knocked at Mrs. Haddo's door. Mrs. Haddo said,
"Come in," and she entered.

"Oh, it's you, Fanny Crawford! I haven't sent for you."

"I know that," replied Fanny. "But I cannot stay any longer in disgrace
in one room. I have had enough of it. I wish to tell you, Mrs. Haddo,
that Haddo Court is no longer the place for me. I suppose I ought to
repent of what I have done; and, of course, I never for a moment thought
that Betty would be so absurd and silly to get an illness which would
nearly kill her. As a matter of fact, I do not repent. The wicked person
was Betty Vivian. She first stole the packet, and then told a lie about
it. I happened to see her steal it, for I was saying at Craigie Muir at
the time. When Miss Symes told me that the Vivians were coming to the
school I disliked the idea, and said so; but I wouldn't complain, and my
dislike received no attention whatsoever. Betty has great powers of
fascination, and she won hearts here at once. She was asked to join the
Specialities--an unheard-of-thing for a new girl at the school. I begged
and implored of her not to join, referring her to Rule No. I., which
prohibits any girl who is in possession of such a secret as Betty had to
become a member. She would not listen to me; she _would_ join. Then she
became miserable, and confessed what she had done, but would not carry
her confession to its logical conclusion--namely, confession to you and
restoration of the lost packet."

"I wish to interrupt you for a minute here, Fanny," said Mrs. Haddo.
"Since your father left he has sent m