once and rehearse, and there weren't enough parts to include day-girls.
Can't you act audience for once? You seem very anxious to show off!"

"It's the pot calling the kettle black then, if we do!" retorted Muriel.
"What about yourselves, I should like to know?"

The worst of it was that Miss Mitchell seemed to take the side of the
boarders.

"I can't have you day-girls coming in the evenings to rehearse!" she
decided. "No, I can't allow you to stay at four o'clock either, because
the boarders must get their walk before tea. It would upset all our
arrangements. Perhaps we may put some of you in a tableau, because that
really wouldn't need much preparation."

A tableau! The day-girls felt much insulted! Miss Mitchell, who had seen
them act in the history class, ought not thus to scout their talents.
Merle took the matter particularly to heart because of her adoration for
the new mistress. She was furiously jealous of the boarders, who could
sit at meal-times at the same table as her idol, and could indulge in
private chats with her during the evenings. Miss Mitchell was perfectly
well aware of Merle's infatuation, but did not encourage it too deeply.
She meant to be quite impartial, and to have no favourites. Moreover, she
was very modern and unsentimental, and disliked what she called
'schoolgirl gush.' She had been the subject of violent admirations
before, and knew how soon they were apt to cool down. She was perfectly
nice to Merle, but a little off-hand, and never showed her any
preference. This line of treatment rather aggravated Merle's symptoms
instead of curbing the tendency.