ns of the organ-loft, and stand pointing at the door till the
trembling girl had gone.

Ann Straggalls horrified Hazel upon this occasion by giving vent to one
of her explosions, and then turning purple as she tried to hide her
face.

"Ah, you'll have to punish her," said Mr Chute. "Oh, by-the-way, Miss
Thorne--"

"If he would only go!" thought Hazel, for the girls were getting very
lively and boisterous, seeing their teacher's attention taken off, and
catching a little of the infection from beyond the partition shutters.

"I say, you'll have a deal of trouble over the school pence"--Mr Chute
was a prophet in this case, though he did not know it--"they'll try all
sorts of plans to get out of paying--a few of them will; but don't you
be imposed upon by their excuses. It's only a penny a week, you know.
There's the Simms's never will pay, and they ought to be turned out of
the schools, for it isn't fair for some children to pay and some not, is
it?"

"Of course not," replied Hazel. "Oh, why won't he go? Surely he must
see that my time is wanted."

Just then the noise in the boys' school became furious, and Mr Chute
made an effort to let his rebellious subjects know that, though
invisible in body, he was present with them in spirit, by going on
tiptoe across the school and rapping on one of the sliding shutters
sharply with his knuckles.

The effect was magical, and he came back triumphant.

"That's how I serve them," he said, with a self-satisfied smirk. "They
know I won't stand any nonsense; and, I say, Miss Thorne, if you hear me
using the cane, don't you take any notice, you know. It's good for them
sometimes. You'll have to use it yourself."

"I hope not," said Hazel quietly; and she glanced towards the door.

"Ah, but you will," he said, laughing, and in profound ignorance of the
fact that Feelier Potts was imitating his every action for the benefit
of her class, even to going across and pretending to tap at the
partition.

"I believe in kindness and firmness combined, Mr Chute."

"So do I," he said, as if lost in admiration. "That's exactly what I
said to Lambent; and I say, Miss Thorne, just a friendly word, you know.
You back me up and I'll back you up; don't you stand any nonsense from
Lambent and those two. They're always meddling and interfering."

"Those two?" said Hazel, thinking of Ophelia Potts and Ann Straggalls.

"Yes; Rebecca and Beatrice, Lambent's sisters, you know. Rebel and