"No! As I say, I'm not the head of the school. I'm not responsible for regulations--only for carrying them out. And accidents will happen." "I only hope," said Clare, as if to herself, "that it will be considered an accident----" Henrietta stared. "But Miss Hartill! Of course it was an accident!" Clare looked at her wistfully. "Yes! It was, wasn't it? Yes, of course! It must have been an accident." Her tone dismissed the matter. But Henrietta was on the alert. Her own anxieties had been skilfully allayed. Her mind was recovering poise. She nosed a mystery and her reviving sense of importance insisted on sharing the knowledge of it. "Miss Hartill--you are not suggesting----?" Her tone invited confidence. Clare gave a little natural laugh. "Oh, my dear woman--I'm all nerves just at present. Of course I'm not suggesting anything. One gets absurd ideas into one's head. I'm only too relieved to hear you laugh at me. Your common sense is always a real support to me, you know. I've grown to depend on it all these years. I'm afraid I've got into the way of taking it too much for granted." She gave a charming little deprecatory shrug. Henrietta flushed: she felt herself warming unaccountably to Clare Hartill. She wondered why she had never before taken the trouble to draw her out.... She was evidently a woman of heart as well as brain. She felt vaguely that she must constantly have been unjust to her. But these sensations only whetted her eager curiosity. She pulled in her chair to the hearth. "But what ideas, Miss Hartill? If you will tell me--I should be the last person to laugh. I have far too much respect for--I wish you would tell me what is worrying you. Does anything make you think it was not an accident?" Clare was the picture of reluctance. "Impressions--vague ideas--is it fair to formulate them? Even if Louise were unbalanced--but, of course, I did not see much of her out of class. I confess I thought her manner strained at times. But I teach. I have nothing to do with the supervision of the younger children." "That is Miss Durand's business," remarked Henrietta crisply. "Oh, but if she had noticed anything----" began Clare. Then, lamely, "Obviously she didn't----" "It was her business to. She should have reported to me. Why, she coached Louise, didn't she?" "Of course, if Louise had really overworked--badly----" reflected Clare, with the distressed air of one on whom unwelcome ideas are dawning. "One hears of cases--in Germany--but it's impossible!" Henrietta looked genuinely shocked, but none the less she was excited. "She failed in that exam.----" she adduced. "Yes! Miss Durand coached her for that, you know. Poor Miss Durand! How she slaved over her! She was dreadfully disappointed," said Clare indulgently. "Of course, she let her overdo herself!" cried Henrietta triumphantly. "But you coached her too--didn't you notice either?"