CHAPTER XXIII THE INVESTIGATION

Mrs. Pangborn, stately and handsome, occupied the chair at her desk in front of which were assembled her pupils. Her secretary was with her, as were the teachers of the higher grades. Everyone felt the solemn moment when Miss Eastbrook was asked to call the roll.

Of the two higher grades every girl responded to her name except Tavia.

Then the principal said:

“I have been notified that a number of you young ladles visited a fortune teller¹ last evening for the purpose of having your fortunes told. Now, let everyone who was off these grounds after tea time stand up.”

Poor Edna was with the “standers.”

“Please, Miss Eastbrook, mark these names as I put the question,” said Mrs. Pangborn.

Then came the examination. Ten of the girls answered to the question: “Did you go to that place to have your fortune told?”

172 When this query² was put to Edna, of course, she answered in the negative. Dorothy was greatly relieved, for, in spite of Tavia’s affirmation, she feared the girls had been up to some trick.

The affair was one of the most serious of escapades that had ever occurred at Glenwood, and, when Jean Faval and her crowd owned to the offence, the face of Mrs. Pangborn might easily be read as suppressing deep indignation.

“The young ladies will go to their rooms,” she said, “and positively³ remain there until this matter is settled.”

That of course meant the culprits—all others were exonerated⁴.

It took but a short time for the girls to leave, and when the room was practically cleared Dorothy approached the much-troubled principal.

“I must speak for Tavia Travers, Mrs. Pangborn,” she said. “She was off the grounds, too, but did not have her fortune told. She turned her ankle, and is not able to stand on it. The accident kept her from getting in on time.”

“Very well, Dorothy,” replied the lady. “I am really glad that none of the older pupils—those who have been here longest—have been so unruly. Tell Tavia she may have a doctor if she needs one, and I will send a teacher to attend to her, as soon as it is possible for me to collect my173 thoughts. I cannot tolerate such an unruly element. And only yesterday I had special notices posted in the corridors,” and the principal pressed her hand to her head.

“I am very sorry,” Dorothy said, “but perhaps these new girls did not realize the discipline of our school.”

“That is the difficulty—to make them realize it. By the way, how is my little friend, Zada? I have not had a chance to talk with her lately.”

Dorothy hesitated. Then she said: “Zada is happier now than she has been for some time. She is so sensitive—and the new girls seemed to claim her.”

“Well, dear,” Mrs. Pangborn replied, “I would rather she would associate with those who know the school better. But if she is happy I am satisfied. Her mother is very ill, and it is important that Zada shall be away from home for a while.”

It was quite like the old days for Dorothy to be alone, talking with Mrs. Pangborn, for many a time she had before approached her in some one’s behalf. For the moment Dorothy’s fears of leaving Glenwood were forgotten. The school was a second home to her, and to finish its course one of the hopes of her young life.

“Tell Tavia not to worry,” said the principal in finishing the interview. “Also say to her, that174 I am glad she was not with those silly girls who went to have their fortunes told,” this last with a scornful smile at the idea of “fortune telling.”

Dorothy went back to Tavia, and found Edna with her. The two were so happy over their escape, and likely a little happy that the others did not escape, that Tavia had ventured to stand on the strained foot, and make her way to the box where the sweets were kept.

“Doro, you are a brick,” she said with more meaning than English. “I never could have gotten out of it. You ought to take up law. You are a born Portia.”

“Thank you,” said Dorothy quietly. “Mrs. Pangborn said she will send up some one to see how much you are hurt. She also said——”

“Back to bed,” Tavia interrupted quickly. “I am so ill I shall not be able to go to class for days. And that will cover the first exam nicely. Now, Ned, why didn’t you break your neck, so you could be laid up?”

“What do you suppose will happen to the others?” asked Edna, not noticing Tavia’s remark. “Do you suppose they will be suspended?”

“I am sure I don’t know,” Dorothy said, “but Mrs. Pangborn feels dreadfully. That fortune teller is a woman of very low character.”

“She certainly is,” said Tavia, with a pronounced175 wink⁵ at Edna. “I would not let her tell my fortune.”

“And the girls are all so excited over the things she did tell them,” Dorothy continued. “Why, some of them say she told the positive truth.”

“Good for her!” exclaimed Tavia. “She really ought to tell the truth, once in a while. I find it that way myself. But I wish I could have seen Jean, when the court-martial was in progress. I shouldn’t wonder but she will suggest that the girls jump out of their windows. She can’t stand Glenwood. I wonder where she was brought up, anyhow? I can’t say anything about woods, but our woods were—green, I fancy she used to ride a bronco in Arizona. Not that I wouldn’t like that, either.”

“There’s the mail,” said Dorothy anxiously, “I hope I have a letter.”

“Oh, you will—you always do. I am the one neglected,” Tavia said as Dorothy left the room. “Now, Ned, be careful. Doro is not to know. Didn’t fate favor us? That’s because, I suppose, that for once we were on the right side. And the others in chains! And me with a limp! Ned, couldn’t you pour some of that stuff on my foot? It gets very hot when I get gay.”

“You will have to have the doctor,” Edna declared, “and I shouldn’t be surprised if a committee of the Glens came to wait on you at recess⁶.176 They simply cannot get over the fact that you and I were not in the scrape.”

“Don’t blame them, but we were not. Where we were is not for them to know. Can I trust you, Ned, when I am not along?”

“Indeed I am only too glad to get off this far, but I keep thinking it will all come out. If it does——”

“We’ll load it on poor Doro. She’ll get us out of it, as she always does. With my brain, if I only had a trace of Doro’s character, I would make the world stand up and ignore the sun,” said Tavia.

By this time Dorothy had returned with her mail. Her pretty face was clouded, and she avoided the gaze of Tavia and Edna.

“What’s the news?” asked Tavia.

“Nothing very special,” she replied, putting her letter away. “There’s the bell. Edna, you and I, and the other good ones, are expected to answer questions as usual,” she said, whereat Edna jumped up and left the room.

“Father wrote,” said Dorothy to Tavia, when they were alone, “that I was not to worry, that things would surely straighten themselves out. Now is that not the very thing to make one worry?”

“It would put me fast to sleep,” declared Tavia, “but of course, I have not your fine instinct177 to scent⁷ danger. You ought to go stealing dogs with me, or breaking your ankles. That’s the sort of thing that knocks nerves out of joint⁸. Doro, I am sure I hear Jean jumping out of the window!”

“Don’t be absurd,” Dorothy said. “I guess Jean has better sense than to get further into trouble. Well, I must go to class. Be sure, whoever comes to look after you, that you are at least civil.”

“That depends,” sauced Tavia. “If Higley comes I’ll plead smallpox⁹ to scare her off. She would sprain¹⁰ my other ankle.”

Dorothy went down the hall, and, as she passed Room Ten, Cologne was just coming out of her door.

“What do you think?” exclaimed the latter. “That Jean Faval blames us for telling about last night! Why, we never even knew about it, Dorothy! Can’t we do something to squelch¹¹ her? She is ringleader of a crowd of insurgents¹², and they are all against us.”

“Or against me,” said Dorothy with a mock smile. “I think, Cologne, if we let them go for a while, it will be better for me at least.”

And her friends wondered what could have come over Dorothy Dale.

1 teller   

n.银行出纳员；(选举)计票员

参考例句：

• The bank started her as a teller.银行起用她当出纳员。
• The teller tried to remain aloof and calm.出纳员力图保持冷漠和镇静。

2 query   

n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑

参考例句：

• I query very much whether it is wise to act so hastily.我真怀疑如此操之过急地行动是否明智。
• They raised a query on his sincerity.他们对他是否真诚提出质疑。

3 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

4 exonerated   

v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police report exonerated Lewis from all charges of corruption. 警方的报告免除了对刘易斯贪污的所有指控。
• An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. 一项调查证明该学校没有任何过失。 来自辞典例句

5 wink   

n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁

参考例句：

• He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
• The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

6 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

7 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 smallpox   

n.天花

参考例句：

• In 1742 he suffered a fatal attack of smallpox.1742年，他染上了致命的天花。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child?你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

10 sprain   

n.扭伤,扭筋

参考例句：

• He got a foot sprain in his ankle. 他脚踝受了严重的扭伤。
• The sprain made my ankle swell up. 我的脚踝扭伤肿了起来。

11 squelch   

v.压制，镇压；发吧唧声

参考例句：

• The President wants to squelch any perception that the meeting is an attempt to negotiate.总统想要消除任何视本次会议为谈判尝试的看法。
• You cannot squelch wanting.你不能压制要求。

12 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网