Pearl in the Mist

'You'd better get to your homeroom, mademoiselle, before you make things even worse for yourself,' Mrs. Randle warned.

'She wouldn't resign,' I insisted, but I turned and walked back to my homeroom.

Later in the day, however, I tapped into the line of gossip and learned that Miss Stevens had indeed resigned.

She had been accused of immoral behavior and given the opportunity to resign and not be charged and dragged through a nasty hearing. The word was that one of the students had come forward and confessed to having been seduced by Miss Stevens. No one knew who the student was, of course, but I had my suspicions.

Gisselle couldn't have looked more satisfied, and Mrs. Ironwood had gotten her pound of flesh.

17

  A Waking Nightmare

During the days that followed, I resembled a somnambulist. I walked the corridors and grounds of Greenwood, my eyes focused on nothing, my gait slow. I barely heard anyone speaking to me or around me. I didn't know whether the sun was shining or not. One afternoon I was surprised to arrive at the dorm and discover I was wet, that it had rained and I hadn't even been aware of it.

Every day that I returned to the dorm after classes I hoped I had a message from Miss Stevens, but there were never any. I imagined she was afraid of getting me into any trouble; she was that considerate. I felt so. sorry for her, driven away by the most scurrilous, foul lies. I knew that even though Mrs. Ironwood had let her resign, she would find ways to paint Miss Stevens with the stain of immoral behavior and hurt her chances to find another job.

Finally, one afternoon when I returned, I did find a letter, but it was from Louis.

Dear Ruby,

I'm sorry it took so long for me to write to you, but I didn't want to attempt it until I could do it entirely myself. What you are reading now is a letter written solely by me, with me seeing every single letter and word I put down. Finally, I no longer have to depend on anyone to do the simplest of tasks for me. I don't have to trust anyone with my secret thoughts or put aside my embarrassment and ask for the most basic favors. I am whole again, and once again, thanks to you.

The doctors tell me my eyesight has restored itself nearly one hundred percent. I'm doing some eye muscle exercises and wearing corrective lenses for the time being. But I don't spend that much of my day doting on myself anymore. No, I spend most of it at the conservatory, where I am working with the greatest music teachers in the world, I am sure. And they are all impressed with me.

Tonight I will be giving a recital at the school's hall, and besides all the teachers and their wives, there will be dignitaries from the city. I'm trying not to be nervous, and do you know what helps me overcome it? Thinking about you and the wonderful talks we used to have.

And guess what? They are going to let me play some of your symphony. As I play I will think about your laughter and your soft voice encouraging me. I do miss you a great deal and look forward to seeing you again. Or should I say, see you completely for the first time?

I received a letter from my grandmother, and as usual, she included some news about the school. Why did the art teacher, Miss Stevens, resign? Wasn't she your favorite teacher at Greenwood? All Grandmother says about it is that she was quickly replaced.

Write back when you have a chance, and good luck with your school exams.

As always,

Your dearest friend, Louis

I put his letter aside and tried to compose a reply that wouldn't reveal how depressed and unhappy I was, but every time I began to explain why Miss Stevens was gone, I broke out in tears and those tears fell on the stationery. Finally I just jotted off a quick note, claiming I was in the middle of exams and would write him in more detail soon.

Meanwhile, it wasn't until the middle of the second week that I heard from Beau. He apologized for not calling me.

'I had to attend a family gathering and was away for the entire weekend,' he claimed. Then he added, 'You can't imagine how Daphne carried on about New Year's Eve when she met my parents at a restaurant last night. She made it sound as if we were all part of an orgy.'

'I can imagine.'

'Why do you sound so down? Is it because you miss me, because if you do. .'

'No, Beau,' I said, and I told him about Miss Stevens. 'You think it was Gisselle?'

'I'm positive it was Gisselle,' I said. 'She once threatened to do the exact same thing if I revealed the secret about her not being crippled anymore.'

'Did you confront her?'

'Naturally, she denies it,' I said. 'It doesn't matter now. The damage has been done, and she has won what she wanted: I hate it here.'

'Complain to Daphne,' he suggested. 'Maybe she'll let you come home.'

'I doubt it,' I said. 'It doesn't matter anyway. I just do my work and plod on. I'm not doing much artwork. The new teacher is nice, but he's not Miss Stevens.'

'Well, be up there this weekend,' Beau promised.