had got as far as "Should the base ple-
beian rabble --" when Miss Goss broke
down in what I could not but regard as
a fit of giggles, and I ceased abruptly.

She pulled herself together after a
moment or two, and said if I would fol-
low her to the library she thought she
could find something -- here she hesi-
tated, to conclude with, "more within
the understanding of the other chil-
dren." I saw that she thought my feel-
ings were hurt, and as I passed a mir-
ror I feared she had some reason to
think so. My face was uncommonly
flushed, and a look of indignation had
crept, somehow, even into my braids,
which, having been plaited too tightly,
stuck out in crooks and kinks from the
side of my head. Incidentally, I was
horrified to notice how thin I was --
thin, even for a dying Antony -- and my
frock was so outgrown that it hardly
covered my knees. "Ridiculous!" I
said under my breath, as I confronted
this miserable figure -- so shamefully in-
significant for the vicarious emotions
which it had been housing. "Ridicu-
lous!"