Harriet nodded.

"Then she would be an unfit associate for this body of fine girls.
Harriet, what do you mean? You don't, you can't mean----"

"Oh, no, no!" protested Harriet, flushing to the roots of her hair.

"Of course not. Forgive me for even suggesting it, my dear. Please go on."

"But suppose that another girl did not know who were the guilty ones at
the time she was questioned, and that afterwards she had a strong
suspicion as to their identity? What then?"

"You have given me a difficult question to answer, Harriet, I should not
like to answer it without knowing more about the circumstances relating to
it. Tell me who the girl is that is suspected?"

"But you are a guardian," rejoined Harriet. "Were I to tell you it would
be your duty to inform the Chief Guardian of what you had heard. Would it
not?"

"My dear, I fear it would," was the reply.

"Then I shall not answer your question. I want to talk with you as I would
to a friend, not as a guardian in Camp Wau-Wau. Suppose some girl had made
this discovery after she had denied knowing anything about the affair,
would it then be her duty to inform the Chief Guardian?"

"Perhaps it would."