achers, nor in the bedrooms either,
once work begins. Do you see that great fat old thing at the
mistress's table? That's Old Tom, the head music-mistress. She is a
greedy old cat! She likes eating! You can see it by the way she gloats
over things, and she's quite put out if she doesn't get exactly what
she wants. Fancy caring! It's just like a man; and that's why she's
called Old Tom."

"Not that she's fastidious!" said Agnes Stewart, a tall slender girl
with short crisp black hair and grey-green eyes, who was sitting
opposite to Beth. "I believe she likes mutton."

"Oh, she's horrid enough for anything!" the girl next her exclaimed
with an expression of disgust.

Some of the girls ate their thick bread and butter unconcernedly,
others were choked with tears, and could not touch it. Most of the
tearful ones were new girls, and the old ones were kind to them; the
teachers, too, were sympathetic, and did their best to cheer them.

After tea they all returned to their class-rooms. Beth went and stood
in one of the great windows looking out on to the grounds, the river,
the old arched bridge, and the grey houses of the town climbing up the
hill among the autumn-tinted trees. All the windows were shut, and she
began to feel suffocated for want of fresh air, and bewildered by the
clatter of voices. If only she could get out into the garden! The door
at the end of the room, which led into the first and second, was open.
She went through. But before she was half across the room, one of the
elder girls exclaimed roughly, "Hello! what are you doing here?"

"It's a new girl, Inkie," another put in.

"Well, the sooner she learns she has no business here the better,"
Inkie rejoined.

Beth thought her exceedingly rude, and passed on into the vestibule
unconcernedly.

"Well, that's cool cheek!" Inkie exclaimed.

"Hie--you--new girl! come back here directly, and go round the other
way, just to teach you manners."

Beth turned back with flaming cheeks, looked at her hard a moment.

"That for _your_ manners!" she said, snapping her fingers at her.

Amy Wynne rose from her seat and went up to Beth. "You must learn at
once, Miss Caldwell," she said, "that you will not be allowed to speak
to the elder girls like that."

"Then the elder girls had better learn at once," said Beth defiantly,
"that they will not be allowed to speak to me as your Inkie-person did
just now. You'll not teach me manners by being rude to me; and if