graphy of India, a large map of
which hung over the black-board, and in the course of the lesson we were
each required in turn to indicate the positions of certain rivers and
cities of the Punjaub. I was sitting in class next to Ernestine Salt,
and as I rose hastily up to step forward and take the pointer, she
suddenly put out her foot, as if by chance, exactly at the moment when I
passed her. I tripped, made a desperate effort to save myself, caught
wildly at the easel, and fell, sending black-board, map, pegs, pointer,
and all with a horrible crash on to the floor.

There was dead silence in the room as I picked myself up. Miss Percy
raised the fallen easel and the torn map, and looked at me with white
lips.

"What is the meaning of this, Philippa Seaton?" she asked.

"I couldn't help it," I answered, rather sullenly I am afraid. "I--I
believe I tripped."

"No other girl has tripped. You are either irredeemably awkward or have
caused this accident by deliberate intention. I very much fear it is the
latter."

"You've no right to say so!" I burst out defiantly, roused out of all
discipline by her tone. "I've told you I couldn't help it, and if you
can't believe my word I should like you to take me to Mrs. Marshall."

"You shall certainly go to Mrs. Marshall when she is at liberty,"
replied Miss Percy in freezing tones. "But in the meantime I am not
going to interrupt the lesson on your behalf. You will stand there by
the door, holding the broken pointer in your hand, till the class is
over."

I do not think Miss Percy was altogether happy at that moment, but I am
sure she was not so miserable as I. I knew well I had done wrong to
answer her so rudely, and the sense of my own shortcomings, added to the
feeling of hot wrath against her injustice and unkindness, made it the
most horribly difficult thing in the world to stand there, the target
for all eyes. My head ached as if it would burst, and I rested my weary
weight first on one foot and then on another. Each minute felt hours to
me as the lesson slowly dragged along. I pressed my trembling hands
together, and tried with a desperate effort to keep my eyes steadily
fixed on the clock over the chimney-piece; but somehow the figures all
seemed at once to be mixed together, the room swam before me in a kind
of blur, I heard Miss Percy's voice as if it were a very long way off
asking me something I could not hear, and then all was utter darkness.

When I came to m