eature once more directly she got out, and, throwing up her arms
with a great exclamation of relief after the restraint indoors, she
ran out on to the wide grass-plot in front of the house at the top of
her speed.

"Come back, come back, new girl!" cried the head French mistress,
Mademoiselle Duval, the teacher on duty. "You are not allowed to go on
the grass, nor must you run in that unseemly way."

"I'm sorry," said Beth. "I didn't know."

She moved off on to the path which overlooked the river, and began to
walk soberly up and down, gazing at the water.

"Mademoiselle!" the French mistress screamed again shrilly, "come away
from there! The girls are not allowed to walk on that path."

"Oh dear!" said Beth. "Where may I go?"

"Just go where you see the other girls go," Mademoiselle rejoined
sharply.

Not being a favourite, the French mistress was left to wander about
alone. Popular teachers always had some girls hanging on to their arms
out in the garden, and sitting with them when they were on duty
indoors; but Mademoiselle seldom had a satellite, and never one who
was respected. The girls thought her deceitful, and deceit was one of
the things not tolerated in the school. Miss Bey was believed to be
above deceit of any kind, and was liked and respected accordingly in
spite of her angular appearance, sharp manner, the certainty that she
was not a lady by birth, and the suspicion that her father kept a
shop. The girls had certain simple tests of character and station.
They attend more to each other's manners in the matter of nicety at
girls' schools than at boys', more's the pity for those who have to
live with the boys afterwards. If a new girl drank with her mouth
full, ate audibly, took things from the end instead of the side of a
spoon, or bit her bread instead of breaking it at dinner, she was set
down as nothing much at home, which meant that her people were
socially of no importance, not to say common; and if she were not
perfectly frank and honest, or if she ever said coarse or indelicate
things, she was spoken of contemptuously as a dockyard girl, which
meant one of low mind and objectionable manners, who was in a bad set
at home and made herself cheap after the manner of a garrison hack,
the terms being nearly equivalent. There was no pretence of impossible
innocence among the elder girls, but neither was there any impropriety
of language or immodesty of conduct. Certain subjects were avoided,
and i