"Naughty child. Sh--sh--sh!" said little Miss Burge, shaking her parasol at the two first girls of the rank, as Hazel went off again. For, highly indignant at having been charged with "tiddling" her fellow pupil. Miss Ophelia Potts had snatched herself together very tightly, and keeping hold of Ann Straggalls' hand--the one that had a hole in the glove--she had begun to walk as fast as she could with so much heavy ballast as Miss Straggalls proved. The consequence was, that the girls behind followed suit not quite so fast, the next couple caught the infection, and then there was a hiatus, six girls straggling a long way ahead, and after a great gap of twenty or thirty yards there was the rest of the school. Hazel hurried after her disordered forces, and checked the advance guard till they were joined by the rest, after which she allowed the brother and sister to come up to her, when she once more took her place, looking terribly conscious of the fact that Archibald Graves was on the other side, keeping pace with them, and looking across as if begging for a glance. "Quite a stranger, Betsey. No; I never see him afore." "Why, how hot and flustered you do look, my dear!" said little Miss Burge. "The girls _is_ tiresome this morning. If that Feelier Potts don't behave herself, she sha'n't come up to the garden to tea." "You haven't seen my garden, Miss Thorne," said the ex-butcher. "No." "Ah, you'll have to come up and see my garden. My sister here will ask you to bring up some of the best girls to take them on the lawn, and eat cake." "But not a bit for that naughty Feelier Potts," cried Miss Burge, shaking her parasol at the delinquent. "Look at that now, Bill. Well, of all the aggravating hussies." Hazel was already on in front, to where Miss Feelier had turned what her mother termed "stunt;" that is to say, she behaved as a horse does that has a character for jibbing--she was not allowed to go her own pace, so she began to walk as slowly as possible, and almost stopped. It needs neither blackboard nor chalk to demonstrate the problem that follows: A, B, and C, are divisions of a column of troops on the march. Portion A forms the advance guard; B the centre; C the rear. If A marched one mile per hour, B two miles per hour, and C three miles per hour, what would be the result? Setting aside miles per hour. Hazel Thorne's column behaved as above; and in two minutes, to Feelier Potts' great delight of which, however, she did not display an inkling in her stolid face, the little column was all in confusion, while the young lady called out loudly: "Please, teacher, they're a-scrouging of us behind." There was nothing for it but for Hazel Thorne to lead the van, leaving little Miss Burge in charge of the rear, seeing which state of affairs, Mr William Forth Burge was about to leave his sister and go up to the front and continue his egotistical discourse; but here he was checked by Miss Burge.