The Murdered Schoolgirl: A Classic Crime Novel. John Russell Fearn
of you, Fortunately Miss Black has not yet retired—”
The dazed science master and Frances Hasleigh were escorted across the quadrangle to the School House. It had all happened so swiftly that Lever just did not know what he was doing; but Frances, for her part, did not seem to be in the least worried. The most concerned over the business was clearly Miss Tanby. There was even triumphant glee in the way she knocked on the door of Maria’s study.
“Come in!” she bade imperiously, and the three entered to find her reclining in the armchair holding a volume entitled A.B.C. of Tracking. She laid it aside at the vision confronting her.
“Why, Miss Tanby, whatever is wrong?”
“I don’t want to think the worst, Miss Black, but unfortunately I have to,” the Housemistress replied. “Not twenty minutes ago Vera Randal came to my study and informed me that she had seen Hasleigh here leaving the dormitory, putting a bolster dummy in her bed. I felt it my duty to look into it immediately. I had hardly reached the quadrangle before I found Hasleigh here with Mr. Lever. And—and they were…well, embracing!”
“I deny that!” Lever retorted. “I was merely showing the young lady the exact position of Sirius.”
“So Vera Randal was awake, eh?” Frances murmured, reflecting. “I wasn’t quite sure—”
Maria rose, her face stern. “This infraction of the rules is bad enough in your case, Hasleigh—a newcomer to the school. But it is far worse in yours, Mr. Lever! You are fully conversant with the regulations. What is your explanation?”
“I have already given it, Miss Black,” he answered quietly. “This young lady came to my study about eleven-thirty with a request to be shown the exact position of the star Sirius. I suggested I could do it with a star-chart, or draw a design for her—but she insisted on us going into the quadrangle to look at the sky. So I showed it to her. Then Miss Tanby came up.”
“And what is this about an—hmm!—embrace?” Maria asked coldly.
“Just mistaken appearances, that’s all. I was trying to direct Miss Hasleigh’s eye to the right point in the sky.”
“Huh!” sniffed Tanby, then fell silent as Maria gave her a glance before turning to Frances.
“Well, Hasleigh, is this correct?”
“Not altogether,” she answered slowly. “I did ask Mr., Lever about the star Sirius, certainly—but when we got out into the quadrangle he started making love to me. I was trying to hold him back from kissing me when Miss Tanby came up—fortunately!”
Lever stared at her blankly. “I made love to you! But, good Lord, I never heard such a lie in my life! I—”
“You knew perfectly well that you had no right to leave your dormitory, didn’t you?” Maria demanded, and Frances nodded slowly.
“Yes, Miss Black, I knew it. But the Sirius problem was worrying me. And in new surroundings I didn’t feel I could settle, either. I wanted fresh air. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I could not see that I was doing anything really wrong. It was Mr. Lever here who spoilt it by his love-making.”
Maria reflected, fingering her watch-chain. Then: “Since you are fully aware of the rules, Mr. Lever,” she said, “I have no alternative but to ask you to leave this establishment. Your duty when this girl came to you was to telephone across to Miss Tanby and report that Hasleigh was out of bounds. You did not do that—and that condemns you. You will kindly make arrangements to leave within twenty-four hours, and I will communicate with the Board of Governors concerning salary in lieu of notice. I will not for one moment tolerate this fraternity between pupils and teachers of opposite sex. That is all.”
Lever clenched his fists and looked at Frances bitterly.
“I could take this better if you were not such a cheap, rotten little liar!” he breathed. “Many a man would slit your throat for this.”
“I will thank you to leave, Mr. Lever,” Maria said coldly.
He gave her one look, then turned and went, slamming the door.
“I’m sorry, Miss Black,” Frances said quietly. “I suppose I did transgress, but I never thought it would turn out as it did.”
“I am prepared,” Maria said, “to make allowances for your unaccustomedness to this college. Had you been here some little time, expulsion would have followed automatically. As it is, I shall levy the punishment of a week’s confinement to the school area in the hope that you will learn more clearly that whilst here you have got to obey the rules. If you ever transgress again, you know the penalty. Now return to your dormitory at once!”
“Yes, m’m,” Frances said, her voice low. Then, as she turned to go, Maria gave her pause.
“A moment, Hasleigh. Just why does the star Sirius so concern you?”
“Oh, I—I just wondered which it is,” she shrugged. “There is nothing more in it than that, m’m.”
“Hmm.…” Maria tightened her lips. “Very well, you may go.”
As the door closed Tanby moved forward urgently. “Miss Black, it’s not my place to question your judgment, of course, but I must say that I expected you would expel that girl. This deliberate infraction of the rules is probably only the beginning! A girl who will do that so shamelessly will probably do it again and again!”
Maria smiled faintly. “Surprisingly enough, Miss Tanby, I agree with you—but if I were to expel her, how would I do it? Her rather—er—peculiar father is probably out of the country by now, her mythical relations are nonexistent. As far as I can see, she has nowhere to live but here. If I were to expel her when she has nowhere to go, I would lay myself open to censure from the Board of Governors. I am bound by the same law as landlord and tenant: I cannot expel a pupil who has no home to return to.… With Mr. Lever it is different. I expect he will join up. If I had not discharged him, the Board would have reprimanded me.”
Tanby rubbed her pointed chin worriedly. “I wish I could make out what kind of a girl this Frances is,” she muttered. “She certainly does not behave like any ordinary pupil. So tremendously assured.… Why don’t you ask her about her dubious connections?”
“Chiefly because I have no legal right to do so yet—and also because she intrigues me.…” Maria sat down again at her desk. “To be truthful, Miss Tanby, I find it most interesting to have somebody peculiar right in my own college, instead of having to go and find them, as I did when I went to America last year.”
Tanby gave her a sharp look. “Miss Black, I do believe that you have kept this girl on here just to—to satisfy your whim for solving mysteries!”
Maria gave a grave smile and picked up her A.B.C. of Tracking again.
“The hour is getting late, Miss Tanby, and I have a chapter of this to re-read yet. I think perhaps we had better discuss again after a night’s sleep.”
After Tanby left Maria sat on reading a few minutes, then she lowered her book. Unlocking her desk drawer, she brought out a black, leather-bound book. In a moment she had it open, skipped through the pages referring to the murder of her brother in America, then stopped at the page she had headed The Hasleigh Puzzle. So far she had not made a very extensive entry—
A new girl has been enrolled today—Frances Hasleigh. Pretty blonde, a trifle cynical, and unusual in manner. Her father is even more unusual. Is sunburned, and yet it washes off! Hates ultraviolet machinery if it is to be used on his daughter. Has given me the names of relations which do not exist!
Picking up her pen Maria made further notes—
Frances Hasleigh has deliberately broken the rules and visited the science master, Mr. Robert Lever, at 11:30 p.m. She says the reason for her mission was to find out the exact position of the star Sirius. Does this mean anything? Have been compelled to discharge Lever and confine Frances to the school