"And yet, for her own sake, it would be much better if the faculty knew something of her doings. She cannot go into town so often for any good purpose. She may be getting into mischief that she will repent all of her after-life." "Very true, still I can say nothing." "Will you let me see what I can do?" "That would be the same as doing it myself, Mary, and then trying to sneak out of a mean act by putting it on your shoulders." "If you are willing to trust me, I will not tell anything definite. I will not mention your name, or tell what Miss Ainsworth has done. I shall merely make sure that she will be so warned and hedged in hereafter, that she will not dare to break the rules again. And this ought to be done, Elizabeth, both for her own sake and the sake of the college." "My dear infant, do you suppose for a moment that you could make the indefinite statement which you propose, to any member of the faculty, and not have a full explanation demanded at once of everything that has been done?" "That would be true, usually, I know--" "But--" Beth's voice sounded a trifle impatient--"do you think you could manage the professors better than the rest of us?" "Not all of them," Mary returned serenely, "but I probably can Professor Newton, because, you see, she is my aunt." "What!" The amazement in her companions' voices made Mary leap back and burst into laughter. "It is true. She is Mother's sister. I really do not know why I told no one at first. I took a notion that I didn't want the girls to know, and Aunt Mary humored me. I am her namesake." "And that is where you have been evenings when I wondered so where you were," Dolly broke out a trifle incoherently. "Yes, I was up in her room. I can go there any time I wish. I thought that I would leave you and Beth an opportunity to talk and study in our sitting-room." "Professor Newton must have a high opinion of me," Dolly interjected discontentedly, "if she thinks that I drive you away." "You needn't worry about Aunt Mary. She knows how lovely you have been to an awkward, green girl from the western prairies, and she is very grateful. Now you see, don't you, that I can say just enough to her confidentially to warrant her in warning Miss Ainsworth that the faculty will expect different behavior from her in the future? That is all that will be necessary, I am sure, only, of course, she will be watched after this. I will not mention a single name, and I will not tell anything that she has done in the past. If she behaves herself after the warning, she will be all right. There will be no harm done, but lots of good will have been accomplished. If she doesn't choose to take heed--" "She will deserve to suffer the full consequences," declared Beth. "Yes, go ahead, that is the best plan. Truly, I am not thinking entirely of the college either, when I say it. While I care nothing, personally, for Margery Ainsworth, I do not want her to ruin her whole life by some piece of folly."