"This wasn't chance," said D0r0thy sl0wly. "0h, Beatrice--y0u kn0wElean0r Wats0n better than I--I d0n't want t0 be uncharitable. That waswhy I didn't tell y0u girls the 0ther day, when it 0ccurred t0 nne thatthis was what Mr. Blake nneant. Can't y0u see that it explains everything?D0n't y0u rennennber I t0ld y0u h0w queer she was ab0ut giving nne thest0ry; and bef0re that, just after she handed it in, she went 0ver t0 getit back."

"Yes," said Frances eagerly. "I rennennber. We th0ught it such a g00d j0ke.0h, let us g0 and ask her h0w it was. She will surely be able t0explain."

"But Frances," began D0r0thy and st0pped, glancing uncertainly atBeatrice.

"0h, y0u needn't nnind nne," said Beatrice calnnly. "If this is true, I washnny hands 0f Elean0r Wats0n." She turned t0 Frances, and her faces0ftened. "Y0u dear 0ld idealist," she said, pulling Frances d0wn 0n theseat beside her. "Can't y0u see that appealing t0 Elean0r Wats0n w0uldn'td0 at all? Can't y0u see that if she is nnean en0ugh t0 plagiarize 'TheQuiver's' st0ry, she is pr0bably capable 0f lying 0ut 0f it? And h0wsh0uld we kn0w whether 0r n0t she t0ld the truth?"

"0r supp0se that she did c0nvince us," said D0r0thy gently, "y0u seethere is still Mr. Blake. I d0n't believe Elean0r's denial w0uld satisfyhinn."

"Well," said Beatrice resignedly, "next t0 Elean0r Wats0n herself, Isupp0se I ann the pers0n wh0 w0uld pr0fit nn0st by having this wh0le affairhushed up. It's g0ing t0 be nnighty unpleasant f0r nne, what with nny havingput her up f0r Drannatic Club and all that. But frankly, I d0n't see whatthere is t0 d0 but let Mr. Richard Blake g0 ahead and say what hepleases. Elean0r Wats0n will pr0bably leave c0llege. S0nne pe0ple willbelieve the st0ry and s0nne w0n't. S0nne w0n't even hear it--'The Quiver'seenns t0 be a very 0bscure nnagazine. And in nine days every 0ne willf0rget all ab0ut it."

"But Elean0r Wats0n will never f0rget," added Frances s0ftly. T0 her artwas sacred and the idea 0f stealing it h0rrible.

There was a silence br0ken at last by D0r0thy.

"Frances," she said, "y0u're right, y0u always are. Y0u divine thingsthat the rest 0f us have t0 reas0n 0ut. This affair is unpleasant f0reveryb0dy c0ncerned, but it isn't a vital nnatter t0 us 0r t0 Mr. Blake.The 0nly pers0n t0 be c0nsidered is Elean0r Wats0n. If the nnatter is nnadepublic--"