CHAPTER XVI

THE EVE OF THE MATCH

It was the thirtieth of October, the eve of the great match between the "Lincs Ladies" and Redlands.

Ordinarily all Redlands would have been in a perfect fizzle of excitement; the Team was strong, the best, so Miss Lambton and the coach agreed, that Redlands had run for the past six years; and the weather was perfect, fine and dry and windy, so that the field at Deeping Royal was safe to be in the best of all possible conditions for the match.

But despite all this, gloom reigned throughout Redlands, from Ingrid down to little Tiddles; who, although she could not understand the issues, could at least understand that her adored Joey was sad.

Miss Conyngham had not budged one inch from her pronouncement, in spite of all that the College dared to urge. The Professor had seen a girl climbing in at the window of the Lab, and yet no girl had come forward to own to it. Until the culprit gave herself up voluntarily, the whole school must be under punishment. And the punishment was "gating" at all times except the walks in "croc." That meant that no Redlands girl, with the exception of the Team, who naturally must be exempt, could go to the great match.

The College groaned and conjectured and groaned again. It gave Miss Conyngham up as a bad job; gentle though she was, she was harder to move than "Maddy" with her austere manner, or Miss Wrestow, the senior mistress, with her strict views on discipline. It tackled understanding people, like Miss Craigie and Miss Lambton, and implored intervention. But nothing made any difference; Miss Conyngham had given her ultimatum, and by that the school had to abide. Until the culprit gave herself up, the whole of Redlands was under the ban.

Joey sometimes wondered if she were still suspected, in spite of her emphatic denial and Miss Conyngham's apparent acceptance of it. She knew that the Professor had suspected her; Ingrid had been sure that he whispered her name to Miss Conyngham when she came in late on that dreadful morning, and the look in his eyes had been so vindictive, Ingrid said, that he must have really wanted to get her severely punished, perhaps even sent away. Ingrid had been very indignant about it, and championed Joey so publicly that no one in the College would have dared to doubt her.

Besides at first everyone was sure that the clearing up of the mystery was only a matter of a few hours, or, at the most, a few days. Ingrid called a meeting of the Upper School; Gabrielle of the Lower. Both pointed out with proper Head-Girl firmness that the offender was bound in honour to come forward--and no one did! And that second half of October went slipping away, with the College still under its ban and the mystery unsolved.

The suspense began to get upon everybody's nerves, and excitable people started to cast accusations about, more or less wildly. It did no good, and only wore still thinner the already thin patience of the girls. And the thirtieth came, and still the criminal was undiscovered and the College paying in bitterness of spirit for her silence.

Joey was trying to forget the trouble in the kindergarten with the babies. They, in especial little Tiddles, were always so proud and pleased to have her there that she snatched half an hour with them whenever she could manage it, despite the remonstrances of Noreen, Syb, and Barbara, who thought her tastes eccentric and "not the thing" for Remove II. B.

Of course they could not be expected to realise that Joey missed Kirsty and Bingo quite badly sometimes, for the public attitude of Redlands towards juniors at one's home was studiously detached. Syb wrote to her small sister every week, Joey knew, and sent her a present costing three weeks' pocket-money on her birthday, but when asked about her didn't know whether she was nine or ten, and could only state vaguely that she "believed it wasn't a bad sort of kid."

So Joey refrained from saying too much about Kirsty and Bingo, but stuck firmly to her friendship with the kindergarten people all the same.

When Noreen burst into the kindergarten play-room during the half-hour between tea and prep, Joey only thought her friend had come to drag her away, and went on defiantly with "Oranges and Lemons."

But instead of the good-natured jeer which she expected, Noreen spoke quite hoarsely:

"Come along, Joey; I want you."

Joey looked at her. Noreen was very white, and her blue eyes were blazing. Clearly something was very wrong.

"I want you," she repeated. "Do leave the babies and come along."

There was an expostulatory wail from the little ones. Joey turned round and hugged Tiddles, who was nearest to her, clinging to her djibbah in readiness for the tug of war.

"I can't stop now, darling; but I'll tell you what, I'll come after tea to-morrow, as we can't go to the match."

Tiddles released her unwillingly, and Noreen seized her arm and dragged her off at once.

"What _is_ the matter?" Joey asked, as soon as they were outside the room and out of hearing of the babies.

Noreen gave a short laugh.

"You'll never guess. It is about the limit. Here have Doris Redburn and Roma Kirke been insinuating that it was _I_ who broke into the Lab."

"What? You!" gasped Joey.

"They said I was always grousing about stinks and saying how I hated the Professor--of course, that's a true bill. And they said I didn't care what rows I got into. That's a true bill as well. I don't care. I rather wish I had done that Lab business--only Gabrielle is so stuffy about things like that--but if I had, I simply _couldn't_ hold my tongue and have the whole Coll punished, even if telling meant getting expelled."

"Of course you couldn't," Joey burst out, furious for her friend. "Who are saying it--Doris and Roma? I'll just go and tell them what I think about their hateful untruthful cheek...."

"No, stop!" Noreen cried, catching her arm as she whirled by. "It's no good just going for those two--they say lots of girls think it. Wonder if Miss Conyngham does too?"

"'Course not!" said Joey hotly. "She'd jolly well know you couldn't be a mean outsider, whatever else you might be. But I do wish the Professor hadn't gone and stirred her up like this. If he hadn't been so cock-sure he saw a girl, it might have been supposed to be the cat."

Noreen groaned.

"It's pretty beastly anyway. One of our crowd is behaving like a rotten outsider, and her rotten outsiderishness is being fastened upon me. It is rough luck."

Joey had never seen her cheerful and inconsequent friend half so "down"; she was dreadfully distressed.

"Let me just go for that Doris girl--she's much the worst," she suggested.

"What's the good?" asked Noreen dejectedly.

She put her arm through Joey's, and they began to walk up and down the broad gravel path between the house and the Lab.

"Why on earth couldn't the Professor go to bed and stay there, instead of messing round and spoiling the hockey-match for us all? I'm jolly glad he's leaving at the end of the month," she concluded vindictively; "but he's done the harm by now."

"If only he hadn't been so sure about the girl," Joey repeated, frowning. "It's that makes Miss Conyngham so stiff about it--otherwise she'd just take our words."

"I think she ought to, anyway. Just think of the match, and Redlands perhaps pulling it off for the first time for six years, and not one of us there!"

"P'r'aps the girl will own up in time," Joey suggested, but not hopefully.

Noreen shook her head.

"Not she. She would have done it long ago if she meant to. She's probably a beastly slacker, who doesn't care two pins about hockey...."

"Nor the Coll," Joey added gloomily.

"I've a good mind to go to the match after all--are you game, Joey?" Noreen said suddenly. "Oh yes, I know there'll be the father and mother, not to mention the aunts and uncles of a good old row; but one may just as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. If they're going to suspect me of beastly things like this----"

Noreen was driven rather desperate; that was clear. Joey held on tighter to her arm, as though she expected her to bolt off there and then.

"It would be heavenly, Noreen; but we can't--you know we can't. Besides, everyone's dying to go."

"If I could get hold of that skunk of a girl!" growled Noreen, and then her eyes lit up again with a dangerous gleam. "Tell you what, Joey; I've a precious good mind to say I did do it after all; and then the others will be allowed to go anyway."

"Noreen!" gasped Joey.

"Oh, of course. I shall tell Miss Conyngham that I didn't--afterwards--when it's too late to matter. You're right about the other thing; it would be rather skunkish when everyone is dying to go. But I'd give them the chance this way. Oh, I know it's an awful thumper, but they shouldn't put it into my head by hinting that I did the crime and lay low."

"No one would believe you did it," Joey urged, grasping at a straw. "No one to count, at least--who cares for silly idiots like Doris and Roma?"

"Wouldn't they? I've got a truly Irish reputation here."

"Well, no one could believe you wouldn't tell for a whole fortnight when everyone was being punished, anyway."

"Doris and Roma hinted that quite a lot of people found it easy enough to believe," Noreen said bitterly. "No, shut it, Joey; I've settled, I'm going to do it. You ought to be pleased; you'll be able to go to your cousin's again--didn't you say they'd asked you for Sunday?"

"Don't be a pig, Noreen!"

"Pax, old thing, I didn't mean it. Of course, you won't like my doing it, I know; but it _is_ a way out. Get Gabrielle to take Syb for her other friend if she will; Syb's wild to go...."

"Noreen, will you promise, honour! not to go telling Miss Conyngham you were the one till after Prep at least?" poor Joey urged in desperation. "Oh, do promise, Noreen."

"What's the good of waiting, you cuckoo?"

"Oh, the real girl might speak--or I might find a way out."

"The cheek of you! Because you got a scholarship, you think...."

"Oh, talk sense, Noreen; of course I don't. Only I might find a way. Promise!"

"Righto. Till after Prep, then, but not a minute longer. Understand."

Noreen disengaged her arm, and departed hastily. Joey stood still considering. Everything that was in her revolted against Noreen's plan; and yet what was there to do? Even her inherent hopefulness found it hard to believe that the culprit would come forward at this eleventh hour, and if she didn't--the guests of the Team were all held up for the match, and the gating of the whole College might go on for an indefinite period--possibly even to the end of the term.

Joey had herself already realised the practical drawbacks of the punishment: she had received a particularly kind letter from Cousin Greta asking her for the day next Sunday, and Miss Conyngham had said, "Write and decline."

Of course it was nothing in comparison with the match; still, now Cousin Greta had been so nice and understanding about her reprehensible proceedings on the former visit, she would have quite liked to go again. Besides, she wanted to ask John about the Professor's signalling. And yet to allow Noreen to tell a lie and accuse herself of an act of unforgivable meanness--that couldn't be right.

Joey looked up at the Lab; if only the Professor had not been so wide awake that night! She supposed he was quite sure of what he saw; after all, it was a very dark night. And then there came to Joey the bold thought of going to ask the Professor if he were really quite sure. He was in the Lab; she could see his head moving between wall and window, and there would be just time before the bell rang for Prep. Joey made one dart for the steps, and hammered at the door.

"Please, it's not anyone come to worry you when you're busy," she called out. "I'm Joey Graham, and I want to ask something dreadfully important, but it will only take about half a sec."

There were steps inside the Lab; a key turned, the door opened. The Professor stood there before her, dressed in the long white linen coat he wore when he was working. The violet handkerchief protruded from one pocket.

"May I come in just a moment?" Joey asked humbly. "I want to ask you...."

"I am very busy," the Professor told her, in no very promising voice.

"Well, but it's frightfully important," Joey tumbled out in desperate haste for fear he should shut the door in her face. "If I could help you clearing up or anything like that after, to make up for wasting your time now, I would like a shot if you'd let me, but...."

"Ah, it is of course the scholarship girl that tink she has the duty to tidy here," said the Professor. His temper seemed to have suddenly improved. "You may come in, and tell me vat it is you vish to say."

Joey came in. Even in that supreme moment she noticed that the Lab looked very much as though it needed tidying. The Professor saw her glance.

"Dere is so much that I must do to make all in readiness for my successor," he said blandly.

"Is he coming at once?" Joey asked.

"In two, tree days after I have left; _I_ go away to-morrow, and, _ma foi_! I tink I must be again up 'alf de night to prepare the Lab for him. So if you tink you see me signalling again...."

"I shan't be startled," Joey finished for him. "But I wasn't really before--it's only Tiddles and babies like that who are frightened of you, and they're so little, you know; they can't help it. But I wanted to ask you about that night--it was jolly dark, you know; that's partly why your signalling was so beautifully plain--do you think you might just possibly have been mistaken ... about the girl you saw?..."

"You tink I make de lie, hein?" the Professor asked.

"Oh _no_, of course not," Joey assured him in a great hurry. "You're French, you know, and French people would be just as much the soul of honour as English, _of course_. It's only Huns who tell lies, one knows. Only it _was_ a very dark night, and Redlands girls always have owned up about things before--and it's so desperate about being stopped from the match and all, you know, that Noreen O'Hara--the one whom you call 'Fathead' in Stinks Class--is going to say she did it, though she didn't, for the sake of the rest and one can't let her do that, can one?"

"An' I am to prevent Mees O'Hara from telling de lie--by the vay, it seems it is not only Huns dat do dat after all--by telling Mees Conyngham that I consider myself mistake'?" the Professor said slowly.

"Of course not, if you're dead sure about the girl," Joey corrected miserably. "Only, it _was_ dark, wasn't it? I was looking out of my window all the time, so I know how dark it was; and if you said _you_ weren't quite sure, I know Miss Conyngham would rather believe a Redlands girl wasn't a mean outsider."

The Professor lifted his heavy lids and looked at her.

"You are a good pleader, Mees Joey Graham. So you looked from your bedroom for long and tink it too dark for me to see clear. I will go to Mees Conyngham now--and tell 'er dat I may 'ave been mistake'--on one condition--dat you do as you offer a while back and come to-morrow to 'elp me tidy de Lab. Ees dat a bargain? since I waste my time on preventing your Mees Noreen make de lie."

"Rather!" Joey cried joyfully. "I say, you _are_ a good sort, and you shall just see how I'll tidy to-morrow. I suppose you wouldn't like me to bring Gabrielle and Noreen as well? I'm sure they would be most awfully pleased."

"No!" the Professor said sharply. "Bring no one, and tell no one. I do not want children running in and out; they disturb me."

"All right," Joey promised joyfully. "When shall I come?"

"At twelve, when you haf finished lessons, _n'est-ce pas_?" the Professor said, quite pleasantly for him, and Joey, with a heartfelt "Thank you," flew for her classroom at her best speed, arriving late, in company with two or three other laggards.

"Really, Jocelyn Graham, and you, Bernadine and Rhoda, you are too bad," Miss Lambton said indignantly. "Why can't you listen for the bell, instead of coming in late and disturbing us all in this way? Take a Rule, all three of you; and don't let it happen again."

The "Sorry, Miss Lambton," which Joey murmured was conventional entirely. She was not sorry at all, for she had a glorious conviction that the deed was done, and the College cleared.

Bernadine, Rhoda, and herself were kept behind, when Prep was over, to receive a short but stringent lecture from Miss Lambton on the need of punctuality, and so did not go out to dress with the rest. But the attention which Joey was endeavouring to give to Miss Lambton was much interfered with by conjectures, and scattered altogether by a sound that came a minute or two later down to Classroom Remove II. B--a sound of cheering.

Louder it grew and louder, as girls came pouring in from their different classrooms.

"What _can_ be happening?" Miss Lambton interrupted herself to ask.

The three sinners took the question for a signal of dismissal. They ran.

A great throng of girls, growing larger every moment, was congregated in the hall, cheering wildly. Squeezing past smaller girls, and under the elbows of seniors, Joey arrived somehow in the front rank.

A large notice faced her--a notice on which the ink was hardly dry:

"In consequence of information received, Miss Conyngham withdraws the ban on Redlands."