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silly girl； Jane。 What did the Lady Abbess say？〃
Miss Carpenter again gave her tears way； and could not reply。
〃She is disgusted with us； and no wonder；〃 said Miss Lindsay。
〃She said it was all your fault；〃 sobbed Miss Carpenter。
〃Well； never mind； dear；〃 said Agatha soothingly。 〃Put it in the
Recording Angel。〃
〃I won't write a word in the Recording Angel unless you do so
first；〃 said Miss Lindsay angrily。 〃You are more in fault than we
are。〃
〃Certainly； my dear；〃 replied Agatha。 〃A whole page； if you
wish。〃
〃I b…believe you LIKE writing in the Recording Angel；〃 said Miss
Carpenter spitefully。
〃Yes； Jane。 It is the best fun the place affords。〃
〃It may be fun to you；〃 said Miss Lindsay sharply； 〃but it is not
very creditable to me； as Miss Wilson said just now； to take a
prize in moral science and then have to write down that I don't
know how to behave myself。 Besides； I do not like to be told that
I am ill…bred！〃
Agatha laughed。 〃What a deep old thing she is！ She knows all our
weaknesses； and stabs at us through them。 Catch her telling me；
or Jane there； that we are ill…bred！〃
〃I don't understand you；〃 said Miss Lindsay； haughtily。
〃Of course not。 That's because you don't know as much moral
science as I； though I never took a prize in it。〃
〃You never took a prize in anything；〃 said Miss Carpenter。
〃And I hope I never shall；〃 said Agatha。 〃I would as soon
scramble for hot pennies in the snow； like the street boys； as
scramble to see who can answer most questions。 Dr。 Watts is
enough moral science for me。 Now for the Recording Angel。〃
She went to a shelf and took down a heavy quarto； bound in black
leather； and inscribed； in red letters； MY FAULTS。 This she threw
irreverently on a desk； and tossed its pages over until she came
to one only partly covered with manuscript confessions。
〃For a wonder；〃 she said； 〃here are two entries that are not
mine。 Sarah Gerram！ What has she been confessing？〃
〃Don't read it；〃 said Miss Lindsay quickly。 〃You know that it is
the most dishonorable thing any of us can do。〃
〃Poch！ Our little sins are not worth making such a fuss about。 I
always like to have my entries read： it makes me feel like an
author； and so in Christian duty I always read other people's。
Listen to poor Sarah's tale of guilt。 '1st October。 I am very
sorry that I slapped Miss Chambers in the lavatory this morning；
and knocked out one of her teeth。 This was very wicked； but it
was coming out by itself； and she has forgiven me because a new
one will come in its place； and she was only pretending when she
said she swallowed it。 Sarah Gerram。〃'
〃Little fool！〃 said Miss Lindsay。 〃The idea of our having to
record in the same book with brats like that！〃
〃Here is a touching revelation。 '4th October。 Helen Plantagenet
is deeply grieved to have to confess that I took the first place
in algebra yesterday unfairly。 Miss Lindsay prompted me；' and〃
〃Oh！〃 exclaimed Miss Lindsay； reddening。 〃That is how she thanks
me for prompting her； is it？ How dare she confess my faults in
the Recording Angel？〃
〃Serves you right for prompting her；〃 said Miss Carpenter。 〃She
was always a double…faced cat； and you ought to have known
better。〃
〃Oh； I assure you it was not for her sake that I did it；〃 replied
Miss Lindsay。 〃It was to prevent that Jackson girl from getting
first place。 I don't like Helen Plantagenet； but at least she is
a lady。'
〃Stuff； Gertrude；〃 said Agatha； with a touch of earnestness。 〃One
would think； to hear you talk； that your grandmother was a cook。
Don't be such a snob。〃
〃Miss Wylie；〃 said Gertrude； becoming scarlet： 〃you are veryoh！
oh！ Stop Agoh！ I will tell Missoh！〃 Agatha had inserted a
steely finger between her ribs； and was tickling her unendurably。
〃Sh…sh…sh；〃 whispered Miss Carpenter anxiously。 〃The door is
open。〃
〃Am I Miss Wylie？〃 demanded Agatha； relentlessly continuing the
torture。 〃Am I verywhatever you were going to say？ Am I？ am I？
am I？〃
〃No； no；〃 gasped Gertrude； shrinking into a chair； almost in
hysterics。 〃You are very unkind； Agatha。 You have hurt me。〃
〃You deserve it。 If you ever get sulky with me again； or call me
Miss Wylie； I will kill you。 I will tickle the soles of your feet
with a feather；〃 （Miss Lindsay shuddered； and hid her feet
beneath the chair） 〃until your hair turns white。 And now； if you
are truly repentant； come and record。〃
〃You must record first。 It was all your fault。〃
〃But I am the youngest；〃 said Agatha。
〃Well； then；〃 said Gertrude； afraid to press the point； but
determined not to record first； 〃let Jane Carpenter begin。 She is
the eldest。〃
〃Oh； of course；〃 said Jane； with whimpering irony。 〃Let Jane do
all the nasty things first。 I think it's very hard。 You fancy
that Jane is a fool； but she isn't。〃
〃You are certainly not such a fool as you look； Jane；〃 said
Agatha gravely。 〃But I will record first； if you like。〃
〃No； you shan't；〃 cried Jane； snatching the pen from her。 〃I arm
the eldest； and I won't be put out of my place。〃
She dipped the pen in the ink resolutely； and prepared to write。
Then she paused； considered； looked bewildered； and at last
appealed piteously to Agatha。
〃What shall I write？〃 she said。 〃You know how to write things
down； and I don't。〃
〃First put the date；〃 said Agatha。
〃To be sure；〃 said Jane； writing it quickly。 〃I forgot that。
Well？〃
〃Now write； 'I am very sorry that Miss Wilson saw me when I slid
down the banisters this evening。 Jane Carpenter。'〃
〃Is that all？〃
〃That's all： unless you wish to add something of your own
composition。〃
〃I hope it's all right；〃 said Jane； looking suspiciously at
Agatha。 〃However； there can't be any harm in it； for it's the
simple truth。 Anyhow； if you are playing one of your jokes on me；
you are a nasty mean thing； and I don't care。 Now； Gertrude； it's
your turn。 Please look at mine； and see whether the spelling is
right。〃
〃It is not my business to teach you to spell；〃 said Gertrude；
taking the pen。 And； while Jane was murmuring at her
churlishness； she wrote in a bold hand：
〃I have broken the rules by sliding down the banisters to…day
with Miss Carpenter and Miss Wylie。 Miss Wylie went first。〃
〃You wretch！〃 exclaimed Agatha； reading over her shoulder。 〃And
your father is an admiral！〃
〃I think it is only fair；〃 said Miss Lindsay； quailing； but
assuming the tone of a moralist。 〃It is perfectly true。〃
〃All my money was made in trade；〃 said Agatha； 〃but I should be
ashamed to save myself by shifting blame to your aristocratic
shoulders。 You pitiful thing！ Here： give me the pen。〃
〃I will strike it out if you wish； but I think 〃
〃No： it shall stay there to witness against you。 How see how I
confess my faults。〃 And she wrote； in a fine； rapid hand：
〃This evening Gertrude Lindsay and Jane Carpenter met me at the
top of the stairs； and said they wanted to slide down the
banisters and would do it if I went first。 I told them that it
was against the rules； but they said that did not matter； and as
they are older than I am； I allowed myself to be persuaded； and
did。〃
〃What do you think of that？〃 said Agatha； displaying the page