Gwen took the letter, and left the room in silence. She was too much astonished to defend herself. She could not imagine who had written to her and put the school address. As soon as she was in the corridor she tore open the envelope. It contained a bill from "Messrs. John Parker & Sons, Glass and China Merchants" for "Replacing 10 articles in broken Tea Service ... L1 2 6" And at the bottom was written in a business hand:-- "Messrs. Parker beg respectfully to request Miss Gascoyne's settlement of above. Should she prefer it, they will send the account to her father. They beg to assure her of their best attention at all times." Gwen gasped. "Why, I paid it!" she said almost aloud. "At least, I sent the money by Emma. Is it possible she can have pocketed it? Oh, the deceiving wretch! Where's Netta? I must tell her at once!" She rushed into the gymnasium, and calling Netta aside, showed her the fatal document. The two talked it over, aghast. "Whew! This is a bad job!" exclaimed Netta. "Certainly it looks as if Emma had decamped with the one pound two and six. She's left the school, you know." "I didn't know," sighed Gwen. "Yes, she went ten days ago. Haven't you noticed there's a new housemaid waiting at dinner? You must be as blind as a bat!" "I'm afraid I am done for," said Gwen dramatically. "Oh, I shouldn't give up too soon if I were you! I suppose, by the by, you wouldn't care to tell your father?" "I'd rather die!" "Then you'll have to go somehow to Parker's, and ask if they've made a mistake. If, as I strongly suspect, Emma really didn't pay it, then you might get them to take part on account now, and leave the rest till after Christmas. What could you give them?" "I don't possess more than sixpence. I'm bankrupt, and in debt to you, too." "But you're sure to get something at Christmas, aren't you?" "I expect so." "Well, I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll lend you another ten shillings. That will make a sovereign altogether, and you can pay me back when you've had your Christmas presents." "Oh, Netta, how good of you!" "Not so particularly. It's only a loan, and I expect you to give it back." "Of course." "You'd better go to Parker's this afternoon at four." "I daren't!" said Gwen, who felt that she was floundering deeper and deeper into a morass of trouble. "You don't know what a scrape I got into at home for stopping behind that other time. Beatrice made me promise absolutely always to come home with Winnie and Lesbia. I should have to give all kinds of explanations." "I'm supposed to go straight home too, on these dark afternoons. My mother's rather particular about it." "Then what's to be done?" "You'll have to make a bolt in the dinner hour. There's nothing else for it." "Umph! It's risky."