Janet had as pretty a little temper of her own as you could meet anywhere. It flashed up in a moment into her eyes. No one, schoolgirl or otherwise, was likely to get a cheap bargain of this little governess. She rose, and, turning the key in the door as she passed, walked up to the table at which Miss Julia sat with her book. The girl was not aware that her own absolute immovability proved to her antagonist that she was not absorbed in her book but in the battle which had begun. Miss Summerhayes stood opposite to her for a moment looking down upon Julia’s bent head. She felt the key of the door in her pocket, which, perhaps, was rather a desperate step so early in the fight; as in doing this she had at once burnt her ships, and committed herself to a policy of absolute no-surrender; but still it inspired her, for she could now neither draw back nor temporize. “Julia! I have told you three times that it is ten o’clock, and I am waiting to begin lessons.” There was still not a movement, not a sound. Julia sat as if made of stone. Then Janet made the great _coup_ she had been contemplating. With a sudden swift movement she took the book from under the reader’s bent face, closed it, and carried it away. In a moment Julia was erect, getting to her feet with a bound, her gray eyes dilating into great globes of gold, her spring like that of a tiger. Janet had scarcely time, though her movements were very quick, to get back to the shelter of her arm-chair. But she managed to do so, and to lock up the offending volume in a drawer, with Julia’s grip on her shoulder, and a shriek of “How dare you, how dare you!” ringing in her ears. “Miss Summerhayes! give me back my book. How dare you take my book? Give it me this moment--do you hear me! do you hear me!” cried the girl, passionately, holding Janet’s shoulders in a grasp of steel. “I hear you perfectly well--as you heard me just now. Take your hands from my shoulders. I did not touch you; if we are to fight, let us fight fair.” Julia’s hands dropped, and a shade of consternation came over her eyes. Then she stamped her foot violently upon the floor--“Miss Summerhayes, give me back my book?” “Sit down,” said Janet, not uncheerfully, “and we can have it out.” “Give me back my book!” “Well,” said Janet, “now we have both got through that formula, _trois sommations_--though I am afraid not very _respectueuses_. Do you know what that means? I called you three times and you have called me three times. We are equal, so far. Now sit down and let us talk it out.”