pion arrived at the garden-gate, behold it was
locked! What was to be done was now the consideration.

"We'll tell the truth at once," said the boy: "it may be blamed, but, as
the copy says, it never can be shamed. But don't look so down, Miss:
never mind a bit of a thrashing! Father gives me many a one; but I never
flinch!"

"If I am not afraid of that, I am afraid of Mrs. Adair looking serious;
and not wishing me good-night. But do look and see if you can see
monitrix."

"Monitrix! what, in the name of goodness, is that? Have you a great dog
at school?"

"O dear, no; I mean the lady who hears my lessons before I say them to
Miss Adair."

"Is that all!" The boy stepped on one side, and looked up at the house.
"No, I see nobody; there is not a creature in the windows. But I'll tell
you what, you shall stop here, and I'll go to the lady of the school.
You shan't get anger, if I can help it; and I have helped it many a time
at our school, that the lads know, to my sorrow."

The boy hastily ran to the front door, and rang the bell. In the mean
time Isabella crept under the court railing to conceal herself. When the
servant opened the door, he asked if the lady was in.

"Do you mean my mistress?"

"To be sure I do; the mistress of the school; and must see her in a
moment."

Mrs. Adair was passing through the hall; and made her appearance, with a
countenance not a little forbidding.

"What do you want with me?" she asked.

"Only, madam," and here the boy hesitated; "I beg your pardon, madam;
somehow, I have a little lady here: and I don't know what to do with
her."

"You mean something respecting one of my scholars; what is it? for I am
at a loss to understand you."

"Bless me! surely she's not run away!"

The boy sprang to the gate, and quickly returned.

"She is quite snug; I thought she had given me the slip. A great girl,
ma'am, ran away with her. She did not come down to the pond of her own
free good will. This is as true as truth is. She pulled, and the great
girl pulled; but with all her might, madam, the little lady could not
get away. So then I marched up to the big girl; and asked her what
business she had with the little one? So she was angry and vexed with my
ragged coat; and made my face ring again: and I gave her a good hard
blow in return, and ran off with little Miss. I looked up for Miss
Monitrix, but could not find her; so here she is, under the rails."

This was all a puzzle to Mrs. A