al things,--mere
gossip of children. Then her information resulted in the cell and
paddle for the unfortunate and began to be talked about on the
playground and in the work-room. When she heard what had happened,
Fouchette was conscience-stricken and ran to Sister Agnes for
consolation. The latter was so confused and contradictory in her
definition of right and wrong, as to how far one might go for Christ's
sake, that Fouchette was left in doubt. And when Sister Angelique
asked her for the name of the girl who committed an offence in the
dormitory, Fouchette hesitated and wanted to consult Sister Agnes.

The result was that Sister Agnes was called before the Superieure, and
was compelled to instruct Fouchette that whatever was required of her
by those in authority was right and should be done. It is a doctrine
as universal as the Christian religion.

So Fouchette told, and the tale brought to the offender five days'
diet of bread and water in a cell.

As a tale-bearer who was not afraid to tell the truth Fouchette had in
the course of time ingratiated herself into the favor of Sister
Angelique, and finally, as has been shown by her transfer to the
governing regions, became the factotum of the Superieure. These
services carried privileges.

They also brought unpopularity. On the playground Fouchette began to
be avoided. In the work-room voices suddenly became hushed as she
passed. In the dormitory she began to experience coldness and hostile
demonstrations.

Yet up to the present she had been suspected only. When the growing
suspicion became a certainty she was assaulted in the dormitory in the
presence of a matron. The biggest and stoutest girl of the section
pulled her from her bed in the dark and began to beat her. There was
no outcry at first,--only a silent struggle on the floor.

But the stout young woman had counted too much on her physical
strength and upon the supposed weakness of her frail antagonist. For
Fouchette was like a cat in another respect,--she fought best on her
back, where she was all hands and feet and teeth. Before the fat
matron could find them between the beds the big girl was yelling for
mercy and the whole section of a hundred girls was in an uproar.

"Help! help!" screamed the girl. "She's murdering me!"

"Who? Where?"

"Silence!"

"Quick! Help! She's killing me! Fouchette! It's Mademoiselle
Fouchette!"

The matron was thus guided to Fouchette's bed, where she found the
latter