It was not until she was in her room, with the door safely locked, that she commanded herself sufficiently to answer the clanging voice.

“I don’t believe it!  I don’t believe it!” she burst out.  “It’s a lie!—­a miserable, sneaking lie!”

“Engaged to Blanche Puddicombe!  Engaged to Blanche Puddicombe!” was the mocking retort.

She dropped on her knees by the bedside and covered her face with her hands.

“Oh, God,” she whispered, “forgive me for being a fool!”

CHAPTER XXI

TWO OF THEM

Polly came early the next morning to talk over things.

“You got all tired out, didn’t you?” she exclaimed, meeting the wearied eyes.

“Oh, no!” denied Miss Sterling.  “I didn’t sleep quite as well as usual, but I’m all right.”

“I’m glad it is only that.  You look almost sick,” Polly scanned the pale face a little doubtfully.  “I’m worried about David—­he acted so queer last night.”

“What’s the trouble?  They were talking of it coming home.”

“About David?—­or me?”

“Miss Castlevaine spoke of David’s being with Patricia, and was wondering if you had quarreled—­that’s all.”

“No, there hasn’t been a word!” cried Polly disgustedly.  “But I suppose he is jealous of Doodles—­such a silly!  He’s a lovely boy, if he weren’t always getting jealous of everybody.  He wants me to stay right with him every minute and not speak to anybody else!”

“That is foolish.”

“I know it, but that’s David Collins!”

“I wonder—­” she stopped.

“What?” asked Polly.

“I was only thinking about Colonel Gresham.  Perhaps it was jealousy that caused the estrangement between him and Mrs. Jocelyn.”

“Maybe—­I never heard what it was.”

“Possibly it is in the blood, and David can’t help it.”

“He needn’t be a goose just because his grand uncle was!  It isn’t as if we were grown up!”

Miss Sterling gave a little laugh.

“I don’t care, it isn’t!” insisted Polly.  “If I were eighteen and engaged to him, of course, I shouldn’t expect to go around with other boys—­’t wouldn’t be right:  but now—!” Polly’s face finished it.

Juanita Sterling looked gravely at nothing.

“And such a boy as Doodles!” Polly went on.  “To start with, he is younger than I am, and that ought to be enough to give David some sense!  Mother says she didn’t see me do anything out of the way—­did you.  Miss Sterling?”

“Why—­why,—­what was it you asked, Polly?  I was thinking so hard, I lost that last!”

Polly looked keenly at her friend’s flushed face.

“I believe you do think I did something!  What is it?  Tell me right out!  I shan’t mind!”

“No, no, Polly!  Forgive me, it wasn’t anything about you and David—­I happened to let another thought in just for a minute—­that was all.  No, I don’t think you did anything that a sensible boy would mind in the least.  Even if you were grown up and engaged to David, you did nothing that should have caused him any annoyance.”