pupils. She retreated as the wasp advanced. The intruder ranged itself
on the side of the girls and circled towards their instructress with
malevolence in every turn and vicious intent in its buzz.

The only one not afraid was Lavinia Fenton who, waving a pocket
handkerchief met the foe bravely but without success. The enemy refused
to turn tail. Other girls plucking up courage joined the champion and
soon the school-room was in a hubbub. Probably the army of hoydenish
maidens were not anxious the conflict should cease--it was far more
entertaining than maxims, arithmetic and working texts on samples--and
Miss Pinwell seeing this, summoned Bridget, the brawny housemaid, who
with a canvas apron finally caught and squashed the rash intruder.

It was sometime before the excitement died down, and meanwhile Lavinia
Fenton's remissness of conduct was forgotten--indeed her intrepidity
singled her out for praise, which she received with becoming
graciousness.

But before the day was out she relapsed into her bad ways. She could or
would do nothing right. Miss Pinwell chided her for carelessness, she
retorted saucily. As discipline had to be maintained she was at last
condemned to an hour with the backboard and there she sat in a corner of
the room on a high legged chair with a small and extremely uncomfortable
oval seat made still more uncomfortable by it sloping slightly forward.
As for the back, it was high and narrow. It afforded no rest for the
spine. The delinquent was compelled to sit perfectly upright. Thus it
was at the same time an instrument of correction and of deportment.

Whatever bodily defects the early Georgian damsels possessed they
certainly had straight backs and level shoulders. The backboard was
admirable training for the carriage of the stately sacque, the graceful
flirting of the fan and for the dancing of the grave and dignified
minuet.

The day was nearing its end. The hour for retiring was early, and at
dusk the head of each bedroom took her candle from the hall table and
after a low curtsy to the mistress of the establishment preceded those
who slept in the same room up the broad staircase. The maidens'
behaviour was highly decorous until they were safe in their respective
bed-chambers, when their tongues were unloosed.

Oddly enough Lavinia, who was usually full of chatter, had to-night
little to say. Her schoolmates rallied her on her silent tongue.

"Oh, don't bother me, Priscilla," she excl