"I really don't know how you do it, my dear, I don't indeed," said the little lady; "the girls all like you, and yet they seem afraid of you as well. I declare I quite shrink from you when you look so stern." "I hope you like me as well, Miss Burge," said Hazel, smiling. "That I do indeed, my dear, and so does my brother. He's always talking about you. I declare, my dear, I'm quite surprised sometimes to find how much he thinks about you." "It is very kind of Mr Burge," said Hazel naively; "and as he is so proud of the schools, pray assure him that I will spare no pains to get the girls well forward by the examination day." "I needn't tell him anything of the sort," said Miss Burge; "he knows you will, and he told Mr Lambent that we ought to be very glad to have got such a mistress for our schools." "You are too partial, Miss Burge," said Hazel, smiling. "That I _am not_!" said the little lady in the most decisive of tones; "and now I must go, and I'm going to call in on your mamma, and try and cheer her up a bit, poor soul, for it must be very lonely for her while you are in the schools and, lor! if here ain't the two Misses Lambent." There was a very affectionate greeting at the door, and then Miss Burge went out, and the two Misses Lambent came in, looking very stiff and uncompromising as soon as they were alone with Hazel. "How do you do. Miss Thorne?" said Miss Lambent in a very chilling way; and Miss Beatrice echoed her words, and finished their freezing as they fell. "Are you going to take a class, Beatrice?" said Miss Lambent. "No, sister, I thought that I would say a few words to Miss Thorne, unless you would prefer speaking." "No, sister, I think you had better speak," said Miss Lambent austerely; "and--tut--tut--tut! I extremely regret this! such a thing never occurred in the school before. Miss Thorne, I will not trouble my brother by making any report of this, but I must request you to preserve better discipline in the school." "Discipline, ma'am! I thought the girls were very quiet." "I must request that you do not speak to me, the vicar's sister, in so haughty a tone, Miss Thorne." "I beg your pardon, ma'am; I wish to be respectful," said Hazel humbly. "But your ways are not respectful, and I must point out to you that both upon week-days and Sundays the behaviour of the girls has not been good. I distinctly saw that child putting out her tongue at me--that girl-- Potts, I think, is her name." "I will certainly speak to the child, ma'am," said Hazel quietly, though a feeling of indignation made the blood flush to her cheeks. "I request that you do, and also punish her severely, Miss Thorne," continued Miss Lambent who, being wound up, felt that this was a favourable opportunity for going on striking. "And now, as I am speaking, I will make a few remarks to you upon a subject that I was about to leave to my sister." "I will speak to Miss Thorne upon that matter, sister," said Miss Beatrice.