miss percival's accident, and bridget o'hara's share in it, were the subjects of conversation not only that night, but the next morning.

the doctor had come to see evelyn, had pronounced her whole in limb, and not as much shaken by her fall out of her carriage as might have been expected. after prescribing a day in bed, and all absence of excitement, he went away, promising to look in again in a few days.

mrs. freeman breathed a sigh of relief.

"and now," she said, turning to her two sisters, "the question of questions is this: what is to be done with bridget o'hara? is she to continue at mulberry court after such a daring act of disobedience? must the safety of the other scholars be sacrificed to her?"

"i'd punish her very severely," said miss patience. "i am sure punishment is what she wants. she ought to be broken in."

"i don't believe you'll ever drive her," said miss delicia. "i know that sort of character. it's only hardened when it's driven."

"i shall do nothing to-night," said mrs. freeman. "but to-morrow, after morning school, i must speak to bridget. her conduct during that interview will more or less decide what steps i must take."

[pg 53]

the next morning, after breakfast, mrs. freeman went upstairs to sit with her favorite evelyn.

evelyn percival, the head girl of the school, was now between seventeen and eighteen years of age. she was a rather pale, rather plain girl; her forehead was broad and low, which gave indications of thoughtfulness more than originality; her wide open gray eyes had a singularly sweet expression; they were surrounded by dark eyelashes, and were the best features in a face which otherwise might have appeared almost insignificant.

but plain as evelyn undoubtedly was, no one who knew her long ever remarked about her appearance, or gave a second thought to the fact that she could lay small claim to physical beauty.

there was a spirit that shone out of those gray eyes, and lent sweetness to that mouth, which was in itself so beautiful that it radiated all over evelyn, and gave her that strong fascination which those who are striving heavenward ever possess.

she never came into a room without exercising in a silent, unobtrusive, very gentle way, a marked effect for good.

uncharitable talk about others ceased when evelyn drew near. selfishness slunk away ashamed.

all the other girls in the school tried to be good when evelyn was by, not because she would reproach them, but because she had a certain way about her which made goodness so attractive that they were forced to follow it.

she was not a specially clever girl, nevertheless she was now, in virtue of her seniority, and a certain painstaking determination, which made her capable of mastering her studies, at the head of the school.

[pg 54]

there are some jealous people who dislike the beautiful because they are beautiful, the good because they are good. girls with this special character are to be found in every school. janet may was one of them, but perhaps in the whole of mulberry court she was the only person who at this juncture cordially disliked evelyn percival.

"it is delightful to have you back again," said mrs. freeman, bending over her pupil and kissing her. "and really, evelyn, you look almost well. oh, my dear child, what a fright i got about you last night."

"but i'm all right to-day," said evelyn, in her bright voice. "i don't feel any bad effects whatever from my accident. i can't think why i was so stupid as to faint, and give you a fright. i ought really to have more control over my nerves."

"my dear, you have been ill, which accounts for your nervousness. but in any case a person with the stoutest nerves may be pardoned for fainting if she is flung out of a carriage. i cannot imagine how you escaped as you have done."

"i feel quite well," replied evelyn, "quite well, and disinclined to stay in bed. i want to get up and see all my friends. you don't know how i have been looking forward to this."

"you shall see the girls one at a time in your room, darling, for whether you feel well or not, the doctor wishes you to remain quiet to-day."

evelyn gave a very faint sigh, and turning her head looked out of the window.

mrs. freeman went over and drew back the curtains.

"you can watch the sea from your bed, my dear," she said, "and i will send dorothy to sit with you after[pg 55] morning school. now i want to ask you if you can give any idea of how the accident occurred?"

a slight additional color came into miss percival's cheeks.

"caspar shied at something," she said.

"yes, but at what?"

"well, mrs. freeman, you know how fond the children are of me, and i of them. they came to meet me, several of the little ones, and one tall, beautiful girl, whom i do not know. perhaps they were all over-excited. they shouted a good deal, and waved branches of trees. poor caspar evidently could not stand it; but they really did nothing that anyone could blame them about."

"nonsense, evelyn. they disobeyed my most stringent orders. are they not to be blamed for that?"

"hadn't they got leave to come to meet me?"

"no, it was that wild irish girl's doing. i really don't know what to do with her."

"is she the beautiful girl who was the ringleader? i don't think i ever saw anyone with such presence of mind. she absolutely caught me as i was flung out of the carriage. i felt her arms round me; that was why i was not hurt."

"yes, i am sure she has a good deal of physical courage, but that does not alter the fact of her having defied my authority and led the children into mischief."

"poor girl!" said evelyn, a wistful expression coming into her eyes.

"now, my dear, you are not going to plead for her. i must manage her my own way. i will leave you now, evelyn. rest all you can, dear, and if you are very good you may perhaps be allowed to join us at supper."

[pg 56]

mrs. freeman left her pupil's room, and went downstairs.

evelyn percival was one of the few girls in the school who was privileged to have a room to herself. her little room was prettily draped in white and pink. it was called the pink room, and adjoined the blue room, which was occupied by bridget o'hara.

on her way downstairs mrs. freeman stepped for a moment into bridget's room. her pupil's large traveling trunks had been removed to the box room, but many showy dresses and much finery of various sorts lay scattered about.

bridget was evidently not blessed with the bump of order. valuable rings and bracelets lay, some on the mantelpiece, some on the dressing table; ribbons, scarfs, handkerchiefs, littered the chairs, the chest of drawers, and even the bed. a stray stocking poked its foot obtrusively out of one of the over-packed drawers of the wardrobe. photographs of friends and of scenery lay face downward on the mantelpiece, and kept company with bridget's brushes and combs in her dressing-table drawer.

mrs. freeman was very particular with regard to tidiness, and the condition of this very pretty room filled her with grave displeasure. the rules with regard to tidy rooms, neatly kept drawers, a place for everything and everything in its place, were most stringent at mulberry court, but up to the present rules mattered nothing at all to bridget o'hara.

"there is nothing whatever for it," murmured mrs. freeman; "i must punish the poor child in a way she will really feel. if this fails, and i cannot break her in[pg 57] before the end of the term, i must ask her father to remove her."

mrs. freeman sighed as she said these words.

she went downstairs and entered her own private sitting room. it was now half-past eleven o'clock, and morning school was over. the weather was too hot for regular walks, and the girls were disporting themselves according to their own will and pleasure on the lawns and in the beautiful grounds which surrounded the school.

mrs. freeman could see them as she sat in her sitting room.

janet, accompanied by olive and ruth, was pacing slowly backward and forward under some shady trees. her satellites were devoted to her, and janet's slender figure was very erect, and her manner somewhat dictatorial. dorothy collingwood was not to be seen, she had evidently gone to join evelyn upstairs. the girls of the middle school were preparing to exert themselves over more than one tennis match. the smaller children were going down to the shore.

bridget, her hat hanging on her arm, defiance very marked on her brow, came suddenly into view. she was alone, and mrs. freeman noticed that janet and her two companions stopped to look at her as if they rather enjoyed the spectacle. they paused for a moment, stared rudely, then turned their backs on miss o'hara.

bridget wore a white muslin dress with a long train. her silver girdle was clasped round her waist. she went deliberately up to a rose tree in full flower, and, picking two or three half-opened buds, put them in her girdle.

mrs. freeman got up, and sounded an electric bell in the wall.

[pg 58]

when the servant answered her summons, she desired her to ask miss o'hara to come to her immediately.

in about ten minutes' time bridget came into the room without knocking. her hat was still swinging on her arm; there was a wild-rose color on her cheeks; her eyes had a certain excited, untamed gleam in them.

"did you want me, mrs. freeman?" she said, in her lazy, rich, somewhat impertinent voice.

"i certainly want you, bridget. i am not in the habit of sending for my pupils if i don't wish to speak to them."

bridget uttered a faint sigh.

"well, i'm here," she said; "what is it?" she still used that half-mocking, indifferent voice.

mrs. freeman could scarcely restrain her impatience.

"i'm afraid i have some unpleasant things to talk about, miss o'hara," she said. "but, before i begin, i must distinctly request you to remember that you are a young girl in the presence of the lady who has been appointed by your father to guide, direct, and command you."

"command me?" said bridget, her nostrils dilating.

"yes; does not a mistress always command her pupils?"

"when she can," replied bridget. her hands dropped to her sides. she lowered her eyes; her proud lips were firmly shut.

after a little pause, during which neither mistress nor pupil spoke, the pupil raised her head.

"i hate school," she said. "i want to go back to the castle. can i go to-day?"

"no, bridget, you cannot. you have been sent here to be under my care, and you must remain with me at least until the end of the term."

[pg 59]

"when will that be?"

"not for over a month?"

"couldn't you write to father, mrs. freeman, and tell him that i am not happy? say, 'biddy is not happy, and she wants to go back to you and the dogs.' if you say that, he'll let me come home fast enough. you might write by the next post, and father, he'd jump on the jaunting-car and drive into ballyshannon, and send you a wire. if papa wires to you, mrs. freeman, the very moment he gets your letter, i may perhaps be home on sunday."

bridget's changeful face was now all glowing with excitement, eagerness, and hope. her defiant attitude had vanished. as she looked full at mrs. freeman, her governess noticed for the first time that her eyelids were red, as if she had been crying. that, and a certain pathos in her voice, made the head mistress regard her in a new light.

"my dear," she said, "i cannot grant your request. you have been sent to me by your father. he wishes you to stay here as long as you are well in body. you are quite well, bridget; you must therefore make up your mind, whether you like school or whether you hate it, to remain here until the end of the term."

"very well, if it must be so, but i shall be very miserable, and misery soon makes me ill."

"you were not miserable yesterday."

"no, not very. the younger girls were fond of me, and dorothy collingwood was nice."

"and isn't she nice to-day?"

"no one is nice to-day. there's the most ridiculous, unfair fuss being made about nothing. there isn't a single girl in the school who hasn't turned against me,[pg 60] because of the accident last night to that stupid, plain miss percival. if i'd hurt her, or if she were ill, and in the least pain, i'd be as sorry as the rest of them; but she's not in the slightest pain; she's quite well. i can't understand all this fuss."

"can't you, bridget? i'm afraid i must make you understand that the fact of evelyn being uninjured does not alter your conduct."

"my conduct? what have i done?"

"you have disobeyed me. one of my strictest rules forbids the girls to leave the grounds without permission. you not only left the grounds contrary to my express order, but you took several of the little children of the school with you. it is against my orders to have the trees destroyed by breaking off branches. knowing this, you willfully disobeyed me again, and you and your companions rushed down the road shouting wildly. what was the result? evelyn percival mercifully escaped serious injury, but my carriage was broken and my horse damaged. the mere money loss you have occasioned me, bridget——"

"oh, papa'll pay that! don't you fret about that, mrs. freeman; the dear old dad will settle it. he quite loves writing checks!"

"but your father cannot pay for your disobedience—for the bad example you have set the little children, for the pain and anxiety you have given me."

"pain and anxiety! i like that! you are just angry with me—that's about all!"

"i am sorry for you also, my dear. i earnestly desire that you should be a good girl, for the girl is the mother of the woman, and a good girl makes that admirable and priceless treasure—a good woman by and by."

[pg 61]

bridget moved restlessly. she looked out of the window. the sun was shining brilliantly, and the grass under the big shady trees looked particularly inviting.

"i suppose i may go," she said, "if that's all you have got to say?"

"i have some more things to say. i must get you, bridget, before you leave this room, to make a promise."

"what is that?"

"that you will obey me."

"i don't know how i can, mrs. freeman. i said at once, when i came to school and saw what kind of place it was, that i wouldn't obey the rules. they were so tiresome and silly; i didn't see the use of them."

"bridget, you are incorrigible. if kindness won't make you see that you are bound in honor to obey me, i must try punishment. wretched child, i don't wish to be hard to you, but do what i say, you must!"

bridget's face turned very white. she looked wildly toward the door, then at the window.

mrs. freeman went up to her, and took her hand. "my dear," she said, "i must make you feel my authority. i do this with great pain, for i know you have not had the advantage of the training which many of the girls who live here have received. i would treat you with kindness, bridget, but you won't receive my kindness. now i must be severe, but for your good. until you promise to obey the rules of the school, you must not join your schoolfellows either at work or play. my sister patience will allow you to sit with her in her sitting room, and your meals will be brought to you there. the length of your punishment rests with yourself, my dear."