"No, I am not at all bewildered, thank you," Beth answered in her easy way. As she spoke she saw two grown-up girls in the hall exchange glances and smile, and wondered what unusual thing she had done. "Then you had better come at once," Miss Bey rejoined drily, "and let me see what you can do. Please to remember in future that the girls are not allowed to come to this door." She led the way as she spoke, and Beth followed her across the hall, up a broad flight of steps opposite the entrance, down a wide corridor to the right, and then to the right again, into a narrow class-room, and through that again into another inner room. "These are the fifth and sixth rooms," Miss Bey remarked,--"fifth and sixth classes." They were furnished with long bare tables, forms, hard wooden chairs, a cupboard, and a set of pigeon-holes. Miss Bey sat down at the end of the table in the "sixth," with her back to the window, and made Beth sit on her left. There were some books, a large slate, a slate pencil, and damp sponge on the table. "What arithmetic have you done?" Miss Bey began. "I've scrambled through the first four rules," Beth answered. "Set yourself a sum in each, and do it," Miss Bey said sharply, taking a piece of knitting from a bag she held on her arm, and beginning to knit in a determined manner, as if she were working against time. Beth took up the slate and pencil, and began; but the sharp click-click of the needles worried her, and her brain was so busy studying Miss Bey she could not concentrate her mind upon the sums. Miss Bey waited without a word, but Beth was conscious of her keen eyes fixed upon her from time to time, and knew what she meant. "I'm hurrying all I can," she said at last. "You'll have to hurry more than you can, then, in class," Miss Bey remarked, "if this is your ordinary rate of work." When the sums were done, she took the slate and glanced over them. "They are every one wrong," she said; "but I see you know how to work them. Now clean the slate, and do some dictation." She took up a book when Beth was ready, and began to read aloud from it. Beth became so interested in the subject that she forgot the dictation, and burst out at last, "Well, I never knew that before." "You are doing dictation now," Miss Bey observed severely. "All right, go on," Beth cheerfully rejoined. Miss Bey did not go on, however, and on looking up to see what was the matter, Beth found her gazing at her with bent brows. "May I ask what your name is?" Miss Bey inquired. "Beth Caldwell." "Then allow me to inform you, Miss Beth Caldwell, that 'all right, go on,' is not the proper way to address the head-mistress of the Royal Service School for Officers' Daughters." "Thank you for telling me," Beth answered. "You see I don't know these things. I always say that to mamma." "Have you ever been to school before?" Miss Bey asked. "No," Beth answered.