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known as a politician, she had never appeared before as an original
poet. Just then somebody happened to discover that Nell was crying,
and all eyes were again turned towards her.
There were indeed tears in her eyes, and drawing out her
handkerchief to brush them away, she happened to let it fall. Before
she could stoop to pick it up, one young lady of about fifteen or
sixteen, who had been standing a little apart from the others, as
though she had no recognised place among them, sprang forward and
put it in her hand. She was gliding timidly away again, when she was
arrested by the governess.
'
It was Miss Edwards who did that, I KNOW,' said Miss Monflathers
predictively. 'Now I am sure that was Miss Edwards.'
It was Miss Edwards, and everybody said it was Miss Edwards, and
Miss Edwards herself admitted that it was.
'Is it not,' said Miss Monflathers, putting down her parasol to take a
severer view of the offender, 'a most remarkable thing, Miss Edwards,
that you have an attachment to the lower classes which always draws
you to their sides; or, rather, is it not a most extraordinary thing that
all I say and do will not wean you from propensities which your
original station in life have unhappily rendered habitual to you, you
extremely vulgar-minded girl?'
'I really intended no harm, ma'am,' said a sweet voice. 'It was a
momentary impulse, indeed.'
'
An impulse!' repeated Miss Monflathers scornfully. 'I wonder that you
presume to speak of impulses to me' - both the teachers assented - 'I
am astonished' - both the teachers were astonished - 'I suppose it is
an impulse which induces you to take the part of every grovelling and
debased person that comes in your way' - both the teachers supposed
so too.
'But I would have you know, Miss Edwards,' resumed the governess in
a tone of increased severity, 'that you cannot be permitted - if it be
only for the sake of preserving a proper example and decorum in this
establishment - that you cannot be permitted, and that you shall not
be permitted, to fly in the face of your superiors in this exceedingly
gross manner. If you have no reason to feel a becoming pride before
wax-work children, there are young ladies here who have, and you
must either defer to those young ladies or leave the establishment,
Miss Edwards.'
This young lady, being motherless and poor, was apprenticed at the
school - taught for nothing - teaching others what she learnt, for
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