k. She
thought of nothing but her own indignities--the indignities committed
against an earl's daughter by a common Scots girl.

She found Mrs Macintyre in her study. The good lady looked up in
amazement when the girl burst in.

'My dear Leucha, whatever _is_ the matter? Why are you not in bed?'

'In bed, Mrs Macintyre! Is it likely that I should be in bed when a
nasty, mean Scotch girl puts a horrid, common cat into it, and also a
great saucer of cream, which the cat spilt, injuring my favourite
edition of the works of Charles Dickens, which was given me by my
father on my last birthday? Will you kindly, Mrs Macintyre, _expel_
that girl in the morning?'

'Oh, my dear, I suppose you are alluding to Hollyhock?'

'I 'm not; I 'm alluding to ugly Jack Lennox, beneath me in station,
beneath me in manners, beneath me in everything!'

'Well, as to that,' said Mrs Macintyre, 'I'm sorry you are annoyed,
Leucha, but another girl would take the matter as a good joke, and win
the friendship of Hollyhock by overlooking the whole affair.'

'I'm not that sort. I'm the daughter of the Earl of Crossways, and
she--she is nothing but a mischievous cad. She 'll ruin your school,
of course, Mrs Macintyre.'

'I don't think so, my dear. I'm delighted to have her. As she has
annoyed you, and you wish it, I _must_ punish her, of course; but
whatever I do, I shall destroy neither her beauty nor her high rank.'

'Her high rank, forsooth! What next?'

'Yes; her father is the Honourable George Lennox, whose wife was a
Cameron, a near relative of the Duke of Ardshiel. I don't think there
is much difference between you in blood, Leucha, except the other way
round. We think a great deal indeed of the Duke in our region.'

Leucha felt slightly stunned and more angry than ever. She knew well,
too well, that the Earl of Crossways was only the second earl of his
house, and that she had better not talk quite so loudly about her grand
lineage.

'Do you _wish_ me to punish Hollyhock?' said Mrs Macintyre, fixing her
grave, gentle eyes on the angry girl's face.

'Yes, of course I do--of course I do. Look at my hand!'

'Oh, the poor cat has scratched it. I 'm sorry. I shall send Miss
Kent to you presently with a little cold cream to rub on it. You had
better keep it bandaged to-night, and it will be quite well to-morrow.
You must have frightened the cat or she would not have treated you like
that.'

Leucha said nothing. She