"I call it a regular swindle!" said Maisie Talbot. "Honor, did she tell you of this mad scheme?"
"Not a word!"
There was a curious expression on Honor's face as she answered, a look of mingled surprise and enlightenment. She had not forgotten the talk at St. Kolgan's Abbey, and she alone of the whole school knew the motive that had prompted Janie to such an amazing action, and could account for this apparent inconsistency of conduct.
"I never dreamt of her really doing it!" she murmured, under her breath.
"Someone ought to stop her in time!" exclaimed Lettice indignantly.
So far, however, from placing any hindrance in the way of Janie's attempt, Miss Young, on the contrary, appeared to be giving her a few words of encouragement and final advice.
The course was to be three times round the cricket ground, an apple to be picked up in each circle. Heaps of early green codlins from the orchard had been disposed at regular intervals, and competitors might select from which pile they wished, so long as they took neither more nor less than the one required specimen in every round, the object being to prevent a general scramble. There were to be no handicaps, so the twelve girls were drawn up in even rank, each girl with one foot on the white line, and her eyes fixed on Miss Young, in readiness for the signal to start. It was an anxious moment.
"One! Two! Three--off!"
They were gone, a row of young athletes, each bounding forward in the ardent hope of outstripping the rest, and gaining the coveted silver cup of victory. The race was always a great feature of the Chessington sports, but to-day, to the members of one house at any rate, it afforded a spectacle of more than ordinary interest. The eyes of all the Chaddites seemed riveted upon Janie, and they watched with frantic excitement to see how she would conduct herself in the struggle.
"She's keeping well up with the rest," whispered Lettice.
"And has a very light, swinging pace," replied Ruth.
"She's actually ahead of Connie Peters already!" said Chatty.
"And gaining on Christina Willoughby!"
"There! She's picked up her first apple!"
"And passed Blanche Hedley!"
"If she only goes on at this rate, St. Chad's may begin to hope."
"Too good to last, I'm afraid."
"She's begun the second round!"
"She's flagging a little!"
"No, she isn't! She's saving herself for a spurt. There! I told you so!
She's passed Christina now!"
"I can hardly believe it's Janie Henderson who's running. It doesn't seem possible!"
"Well, of course, she's extremely light; that gives her a great pull over most of the others."
"But I didn't know she could run at all!"
"Perhaps she didn't either, until she tried."
"She's picked up her second apple!"
"And Alice Marsh has nearly knocked her over, through rushing to the same heap."
"Never mind! it hasn't really hindered her."
"She and Nettie Saville are almost equal now!"
"How well she keeps up!"
"There she goes, past the post again!"
"This is actually the last round!"
"And that's her third apple!"
"She'll let it fall!"
"No, she won't; she's got them quite tight!"
"She's up to Nettie!"
"No--Nettie is spurting, and gaining fast!"
"Janie must push on!"
"Hurrah! Nettie has dropped an apple, and she'll have to stop, and pick it up."
"Janie is ahead of everyone!"
"If she wins, it will be a triumph for the orange ribbon!"
Thus the girls, with continuous anxiety, followed the events of the race, all unknowing that Janie was playing for a far higher stake than they realized, and that on the result of that race hung, not only the honour of St. Chad's, but the future of a human soul, capable of infinitely so much more than it had yet achieved.
"They're all putting on steam! Oh, look! Alice Marsh is almost even!"
"And so is Christina!"
"And Connie Peters has gained what she lost at first!"
"Janie mustn't fail now!"
"Nettie has passed her!"
"Then she'll lose, for a certainty!"
"Oh, dear! I hardly dare look!"
"She won't! She won't! She's making a last dash! She's in front of Nettie! She's gaining--three feet--four feet! Well done, Janie! Go on!
Go on! You're safe! Don't flag now!"