“Equal!” said Julia, with a shriek, “me and you, Miss Summerhayes! You are only the governess--that’s no better than a servant. You may suppose they think different downstairs, because of their way of talking, and because Gussy thinks it’s grand to be like that. But they think just the same. And mamma will stand up for me. She pretends she wants me to be mastered, but she doesn’t, and you’ll find the difference when you go to her with your complaints.” “But I don’t mean to go to her with any complaints,” said Janet, putting on the best smile she could. “If we are to get on, we must manage it between ourselves; if not, there is a very easy remedy for me. You had better sit down, and discuss the matter, so that we may know what we are about.” “What’s your remedy?” cried Julia, breathing hard. “It will be quite effectual, as far as I am concerned: but I don’t like to be beaten, so I shall try some others first. Sit down there.” “I shan’t,” Miss Julia said. “Well, stand on your head then,” said Janet, “perhaps you may like that better: only let us get all the necessary tricks over, and come to business, for it may as well be decided once for all.” “How dare you talk of tricks! What do you call my tricks?” “They are quite easy to describe. To pretend to be deaf, dumb, and blind; to pretend to be a wild beast; to shriek and snort and talk loud. I don’t know what others you may still have to get through, but you must know as well as I do that all these are tricks, and of no consequence. When they are exhausted, then we can begin to talk.” “Me a wild beast! Me of no consequence! I should like,” cried Julia, with her eyes blazing like red-hot flames, and her fingers clasping and unclasping, “just to give it you hot, for once! just to stamp upon you, and tear off your fal-lals and pitch you out of the window!” Janet nodded her head at each threat, not by way of approbation, but of acquiescence as in an argument she had foreseen. “I know,” she said, “I told you so. It would be a great saving of time if you would consider all that sort of thing as said, and come to the real question.” “What is the real question?” said Julia, staring, with her hands grasping the top of the chair on which she had been requested to sit down--whether because she was checked in her childish rage, or whether because she meant to use it as a weapon, it was difficult to say. “The real question is, whether we are to be able to get on together or not. It’s the only one of any importance. I want to come to that.” “What an awful fool you must be,” said Julia, bending over the back of the chair towards Janet with flaming looks of wrath. “Yes,” said Janet. “One of us is so, that is very evident: but why should it strike you at this moment?”