uldn't spare time to walk upstairs. `And you
know, Bridget, you are always delicate on the chest.' `It'll be on your
head, then,' says Bridgie, `if I _am_ made ill, keeping me up when I'm
longing for my bed! Come, dear,' wheedling her to see if she could get
round that way, `leave it alone now, and I'll brush it for you in the
morning. It is beautiful hair, and Mrs Gallagher the laundress was
saying to me this morning there wasn't its match in the country.' And
Esmeralda said afterwards that she was too cold for compliments, so she
up and said it was her own hair, and she'd brush it when she liked, and
how she liked, without interference from anyone; and at that they grew
mad, and began quarrelling with each other, and throwing up everything
that ever they did since they were short-coated, and meself lying
trembling on me bed, to think what would happen next. Joan--that's
Esmeralda--she would have sat up all night, she's that obstinate, but
Bridgie grew tired, and says she, `I'm not going to catch me death
shivering here for all the jokes on earth, so here goes, and I don't
care what happens!' and with that she throws herself down on the bed;
and--would ye believe it?--nothing happened at all. The bed was as
right as it had been all its life, and the boys had had their joke
without any trouble."

Pixie finished in the midst of a dead silence, for one by one the
speakers round the table had paused to listen to the soft Irish voice,
and the story once begun had riveted attention. Some of the girls
laughed outright, some held down their heads to conceal their smiles,
some nudged their companions and looked demurely at Miss Phipps to take
their cue from her face. She was undoubtedly smiling, but she looked
worried all the same, and gave the signal for rising in a hurried
manner, as if anxious to allow no time for comment. The girls rose and
filed slowly past, Pixie skipping complacently in front, with her arm
round another new friend, whom she was prepared to adore even more
fondly than the last. Only Margaret remained behind to assist in
putting the room in order, and when the door shut Miss Phipps looked at
her under raised appealing brows.

"I am afraid we have rather a difficult subject there, Margaret! Poor
little thing! Her father says she has been allowed to run wild, and it
will be difficult for her to get into school ways. She doesn't mean to
be forward, but of course we can't allow her to go on like