it is certain the doctor would have
steadily shrugged his shoulders, and pished
and poohed the establishment into ruin,
"A very poor sort of place, sir; all sorts of
paw-paw people. A lucky escape of sending
my girl there!" But the lady directors,
true to the instincts of their kind, " took it
out" of the unhappy little hostage thus
confided to them, and they had instinct to
see that from that indifferent father would
come no protest. She was kept there for
six years, going through the whole
"curriculum," such as it was, and going
through a course of steady mortification,
bitter drudgery, with that hot iron of
dependency which the Misses Proudfoot
forced steadily, day by day, and hour
by hour, to enter into her child's soul.
The vicar's daughter could not be treated
with open disrespect; but it was known to
every one that the pale, and worn, and
studious child was " on charity," more or
less. So pale and thoughtful she was now,
having been slowly changed from the gay,
romping, rosy-cheeked " little thing" which
she had been when she arrived.

When the new girl, just come, " Wright,"
was known to be the daughter of a
gentleman of slender means, the Misses
Proudfoot had some reluctance about accepting
her, owing to a possible uncertainty about
the premiums. From parents of this
undesirable sort the moneys had to be dug out,
must be, as it were, crushed and broken
up from quartz masses, collected in grains,
after long delays, excuses, appeals, &c.
But the references were genteel. She was
a curious girl— delicate, peevish, fretful,
full of humours, ready to complain of her
companions, and to turn away from the
excellent fare provided for them. She took
as many airs as a bishop's niece whom
they once instructed, and whom the bishop,
an " honourable and reverend," came to see
in full apron. They hardly knew how to
deal with her, for she was dangerous and
vindictive, and could injure the school.

She had one friend among the girls, who
clung to her with a romantic friendship and
adoration. This was the parson's daughter,
who, from the moment of her arrival, had
become her jackal and defender, her
admirer and worshipper. It was inconceivable,
the services she rendered, the devotion
she paid. She was more useful
than an Eton fag, because her service was
voluntary. She shielded her from punishment
when the other could not shield
herself; she followed her with loving eyes,
like a faithful dog; and when " Wright"
(for the young ladies spoke of each other
in this gentlemanly way) was sick, stole
off to watch her, in defiance of the rules of
the establishment. The determined breach
of these laws brought a tart letter to the
doctor, who came off in an angry fluster,
blowing and puffing, and began to revile
his child for her scandalous ingratitude for
the blessings of a good education. " I am
told you are going after low mean creatures,
sticking to them with a disgusting
familiarity, separating yourself from the nice
young ladies of the establishment. Do you
suppose, girl, I can pay for you here,
stinting myself in common luxuries, all for you
to follow your grovelling whims and these
vulgar tastes? There are plenty of nice
well-connected girls in the house whose
friendship would be useful, and useful to
me too; and you choose to go puddling in
the gutter, making dirt pies! Faugh!
It's disgusting." The reproof had no effect,
and the father even remarked, from the
first, a cold insensible look in the eyes of
his child, fruits of the excellent training he
had been passing her through.

The young girl recovered, " joined her
companions," more pettish and helpless
than before, and was received with
affectionate rapture by her faithful henchwoman.
What was the secret of this singular
devotion? Possibly there was none. It was
her humour, or there was in the fretful eyes
of the other girl a faint expression of suffering
which drew her pity irresistibly. Sometimes
a look of this sort has strong and
permanent fascination. The other showed
neither gratitude nor love; but Jessica was
quite content.

CHAPTER II. THE BEGINNING OF THE VENDETTA.

SUDDENLY, one fine morning, there was
a flutter and bustle at Dampier House,
and it was known that strangers had
arrived: a gentleman, a carriage and four
posters. Miss Proudfoot, in agitation, had
come herself to fetch Wright from the
playground, calling her " darling." There was
a sweetness and obsequiousness in her
manner that was bewildering to the boarders.
"Come, darling, your dear father is longing
to see you!" And she gave her—
unaccustomed luxury!— a glass of wine in the
"study." For with schoolboys and
schoolgirls wine is the symbol of unutterable
glory and even apotheosis. The chaise and
four had spread the news; all was wonder
and speculation. Miss Ventnor, the
genteelest, and therefore the haughtiest, girl in
the school, who thought the other girls
mere " scum," whose sister had married a
baronet, was awed and even curious. Our