“Have you?” Clara made an elaborate pretense1 of indifference2. She kept her eyes fastened on the book before her on the study table. She was thoroughly3 peeved4 with Julia for having gone across the hall to see Mildred Ferguson at least an hour before.
Julia had returned to Hamilton on the previous afternoon. Clara had not returned, however, until that afternoon. She thought Julia might have shown more interest in seeing her. Instead, she had hurried to Mildred Ferguson’s room directly after dinner on the plea of consulting with Mildred about the Orchid5 Club’s next luncheon6.
“Oh, drop your book, and listen to me.” Julia sat down on the edge of her couch bed with an impatient bounce.
“Why should I? You haven’t stopped to consider 165me?” Clara retorted, frost in her tones. “But it doesn’t matter. Please say what you wish. I am interested in this story. I began it on the train and I’m anxious to finish it tonight. I shan’t have time to-morrow.”
“Oh, bother your old story!” Julia exclaimed. “You are simply peeved. The story I have to tell you is a good deal more interesting than the one you’re reading. I have just heard the true story of Leslie Cairns. What do you think of that?” Julia was full of malicious7 elation8.
“True story?” Clara returned interrogatively. She refused to let curiosity interfere9 with her miffed assumption of dignity.
“Yes, the true story of how she led the girls she chummed with into a hazing10 party and then tried to lay the whole thing to them so as to save herself from being expelled. That’s the sort of person she is.”
“I suppose Mildred Ferguson told you all this,” Clara said coolly. “Where did she find out so much? How do you know what she says is true?”
“She found out about Miss Cairns from a cousin. The cousin was one of the girls who chummed with Miss Cairns, and who was with the hazing party. I believe every word of what she told me.” Julia crested11 her head in displeased12 defiance13 of Clara.
“Mm-m.” Clara unbent a trifle. “Who is her cousin? When did she hear about Miss Cairns? Off the campus, I believe. I’ve never found anyone 166on the campus who knew the rights of that hazing business. They say Miss Dean knows. She ought to, since she was the student those girls hazed15. She’d never tell anyone a word about it, though.”
“She may keep her information,” shrugged16 Julia scornfully. “I know more about it now, perhaps, than she does. I mean, I know the Cairns side of it. You see Mildred’s cousin is a very rich girl named Dulcie Vale. She is a society favorite, but she was a senior at Hamilton when it all happened.”
“Then she must have been expelled from Hamilton, too.” Clara put in half contemptuously. “All those San Soucians were expelled.”
“She was not,” Julia emphasized, frowning. “She left Hamilton before it happened because she knew that Leslie Cairns had betrayed the whole crowd of girls by being too confidential17 with another student named Miss Walbert, who was noted18 on the campus as a tale-bearer and gossip.”
“I thought they were all expelled,” Clara persisted obstinately19.
“Miss Vale was not.” Julia showed signs of becoming exasperated20. “Please listen to me, Clara. This is very important for you to know. That is, if you care to do your part toward making Wayland Hall a house free from such derogatory influences as Miss Cairns is bound sooner or later to exert.”
“That’s one way of putting it.” Clara laid aside her book. Her pale blue eyes shot sparks of resentment21 167at Julia. “I happen to know you a little better than anyone else here knows you.”
“Of course you do.” Julia controlled her temper with an effort. She was more anxious to tell Clara what she had heard about Leslie than she was to squabble with Clara. “That’s precisely22 why I am trying to give you my confidence,” she explained, with pretended warmth.
“Hm-m. Go ahead, then.” Somewhat mollified, Clara gave in. She had defeated her curiosity several times. Now she decided23 to gratify it.
“Mildred’s mother is Dulcie Vale’s aunt,” Julia began with impressive alacrity24. “The Vale family held a re-union in New York this year over New Year’s. Dulcie’s father is the president of the L., T. and M. Railroad, and is worth a lot of money. But not as much as Miss Cairns’ father is worth. Dulcie and Mildred met at the re-union. They hadn’t seen each other for almost four years. Mildred thought Dulcie was a Vassar graduate. She was surprised to hear that Dulcie had attended Hamilton. Dulcie was surprised to know that Mildred was a Hamilton freshman25. She began asking Mildred all sorts of questions about the campus and Wayland Hall.”
Julia paused to take breath, then continued with relish26: “Mildred said Dulcie positively27 went up in the air when she heard that Leslie Cairns was back at Hamilton. Then she started in and told Mildred the whole story of the whole time she and 168Miss Cairns were at Hamilton together. Mildred said she couldn’t begin to remember all Dulcie told her against Miss Cairns. For one thing Miss Cairns hired a coach to teach her team a lot of dishonest basket ball tricks. Then she tried to make the other girls on the team, who were all Sans, learn them. Dulcie was on the team. She absolutely refused to do a thing that was unfair in the game. That made Leslie Cairns angry with her. After that they were never friendly again, but Dulcie stood a good many things because she wanted to be loyal to the Sans.
“Then Miss Cairns ran Miss Langly down, speeding on Hamilton Pike. She tried to pretend it was another motorist who had done it. She had to own up to it, though. She had to go before Prexy, and was nearly expelled that time.”
“How did they haze14 Miss Dean? Did Miss Vale say?” Clara was in hopes of hearing what she longed to discover.
“Oh, they dressed up in dominos and masks and walked Miss Dean around the campus two or three times. It was on Valentine’s night. That’s the junior masquerade night, you know. Then they were going to let her go, but Leslie Cairns said they shouldn’t. She and three or four of the Sans took Miss Dean to an empty house and locked her in it. Dulcie and most of the others went straight back to the gym to the dance.”
“Then they shouldn’t have been expelled,” Clara 169declared stolidly28. “They should have been able to clear themselves.”
“None of the Sans would have been expelled if Miss Cairns had been loyal to them. She told this Miss Walbert about it, and that Dulcie was to blame for the whole thing. Miss Walbert told every girl she knew on the campus. The story went on till the faculty29 got hold of it. Somehow it was reported to Prexy. Dulcie found out from his secretary, who was her friend, that Prexy was going to bring the Sans on the carpet for hazing. She went to Leslie and warned her to be on her guard. Leslie said she had been telling tales. She set the other Sans against Dulcie, and they treated her so outrageously30 she had a nervous collapse31, and had to leave college. She wrote President Matthews a lovely letter before she left, saying how sorry she was to have to leave Hamilton. It must have impressed him greatly.” Julia rolled her moon-like eyes. “He sent for Leslie Cairns soon afterward32. Then she turned against her chums and the upshot was that they were all expelled. Only she didn’t expect that she would be. Do you consider such a girl a good influence at the Hall? I don’t.” She replied to her own question with vindictive33 stress.
“But suppose this Dulcie Vale hadn’t told the truth?” Clara did not like Mildred. She was therefore ready to doubt the integrity of Mildred’s cousin.
“She’s told it nearly enough so that we know 170what happened,” Julia maintained in a slightly sullen34 tone. “Besides we aren’t going to put everything I’ve just told you in the petition. We shall simply base the petition upon what we know.”
“Hm-m.” Clara vented35 her favorite satiric36 ejaculation. “You’ll have to show the girls in the club, or else they will refuse to sign it. You can’t simply state in it that Leslie Cairns is an undesirable37 person to have at the Hall. You’ll have to substantiate38 your accusations39.”
“You must think we are infants. What makes you so snippy, Clara Carter? We have arranged for everything. The girls in the Orchid Club will sign the petition after Mildred goes before them at a special meeting. Dulcie Vale is going to send Mildred a tabulated40 account of Leslie Cairns’ doings here. She will read it out to the club. Then I think they will be ready to sign the petition. After that—” Julia curled a confident lip. “The majority rules, you know. We are twenty-six against twenty. At least half a dozen of that twenty will not take sides. That makes it a matter of only fourteen against twenty-six.”
“Miss Remson will fight against making Miss Cairns leave the Hall. She seems to like her. It seems queer to me that Miss Remson would take her back again, and be so sweet to her. And Miss Dean and her crowd! Miss Cairns is awfully41 chummy with them.” Deep within Clara a stubborn 171doubt had risen as to the feasibility of Julia’s vengeful scheme.
It had begun to form before Christmas as a result of Julia’s crush on Mildred. Clara had sulked matters out alone. As a result she had freed herself to a certain extent from Julia’s spiteful influence. And the beneficial result of frequent hours spent alone was a general pulling-up in her classes and a lack of impulse to gossip, since she had not Julia to gossip with. She was beginning to lean toward a more charitable state of mind though she had not yet discovered it.
“Miss Remson may fuss all she pleases about the petition. We shall appeal to Prexy and demand justice.”
“How do you suppose Miss Cairns got back on the campus?” Clara laughed a trifle scornfully. “By Prexy’s permission, of course. Of what use then to appeal to him? You’d best let well enough alone. You’ll never win. I am saying it to you for your own good, Julia.”
“Much obliged, I’m sure.” Julia was now thoroughly incensed42. “I don’t in the least understand you, Clara. I do know this. We shall win. We are prepared to take it even above Prexy’s head, and to the College Board. We shall have our parents take up the matter, if necessary. You were in sympathy with us at first. Now—” She sprang up from the couch and walked to the door, her black eyes smouldering with anger. “All I’ll ask 172of you is not to repeat what I’ve just said. You must do as you think wise about signing the petition.” She went out the door, closing it after her with a sharp little bang.
“Julia had best let well enough alone,” Clara repeated aloud as she resumed her book. “She’ll never win.”
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1
pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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4
peeved
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| adj.恼怒的，不高兴的v.（使）气恼，（使）焦躁，（使）愤怒( peeve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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orchid
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| n.兰花，淡紫色 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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7
malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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elation
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| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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10
hazing
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| n.受辱，被欺侮v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的现在分词 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件） | |
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11
crested
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| adj.有顶饰的，有纹章的，有冠毛的v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的过去式和过去分词 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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12
displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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14
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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15
hazed
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| v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的过去式和过去分词 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件） | |
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16
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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18
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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24
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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25
freshman
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| n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女) | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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27
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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stolidly
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| adv.迟钝地，神经麻木地 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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outrageously
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| 凶残地； 肆无忌惮地； 令人不能容忍地； 不寻常地 | |
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31
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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32
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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vented
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| 表达，发泄（感情，尤指愤怒）( vent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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satiric
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| adj.讽刺的，挖苦的 | |
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37
undesirable
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| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
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38
substantiate
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| v.证实；证明...有根据 | |
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39
accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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40
tabulated
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| 把（数字、事实）列成表( tabulate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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42
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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