CHAPTER XV. MISS PINCHIN.
Sharp to the minute Dawson reappeared.
"The barber will call about ten," she said.
"The barber? What for?" asked Henny.
"To have your hair cut to the regulation length."
"I won't have my hair touched," said Henny, putting both hands round her fiery locks.
"We'll see about that. Come along; your coffee will be getting cold."
A minute later the girls found themselves in the Chamber of Discipline. There was a table in the centre, and at one end was a tray covered with a white cloth. It contained two large breakfast cups of excellent coffee and two plates piled with thick bread and butter.
"I say, look here, I want jam," said Henny.
"Jam is not given in Discipline," said a harsh and somewhat cracked voice, which so startled the girls that they forgot such a trivial thing as jam, for the words undoubtedly sounded from the lips of the lady who was to instruct them.
She was small, thin and wiry. Her face was an olive tint and very much wrinkled. Her hands were at once remarkable for their thinness and their strength, and her voice had a peculiarly grating sound.
She introduced herself to the Misses Mostyn with a solemn bow and said, "For a week I am your only teacher. Sit down and eat your breakfast, for we are late. You won't have a minute to idle. My name is Pinchin—Miss Pinchin. I am Mrs. Faithful's devoted friend. I rule over Discipline and all those girls who go through its stringent methods. Now, hurry, hurry. Don't slop the coffee into your saucer, Henrietta.—Daisy, eat your bread and butter tidily."
"I wonder," said Henny, speaking suddenly, for Daisy was silent, "did you ever have all your plans spoilt just by a streak of light from a dark lantern."
"That question I refuse to answer. Now, time is up. Daisy, ring the bell for Dawson."
"But we haven't finished yet," said Henrietta.
"Then I'll give you an additional five minutes. But be quick, and no chatter, please."
At the appointed time the girls had eaten sufficient. With the food Daisy's spirits were reviving. She tugged the bell-rope so violently that it came down in her hand.
"For that show of temper," said Miss Pinchin, "you will learn, locked into your bedroom, twenty lines of Paradise Lost."
"Never heard of it," whimpered Daisy.
"If you cry, I shall make it forty. Remember, both of you girls, that you are in Discipline—not a pleasant place—but uncommonly wholesome. Ah, Dawson, send a man to put up that bell-rope again. Remove the breakfast things and send Miss Adelaide Marsh in here."
"If you please, madam," said Dawson, "the young ladies' barber has just called."
Miss Pinchin's black eyes gleamed. "Ah, that will do nicely," she said. "I will take the young ladies into Penitence for the operation."
"I haven't made up the room yet, ma'am."
"I'm sorry for that, but Crew has no eyes for anything but her business."
Crew, the barber, was a woman therefore. Hateful creature! The girls might have used their eyes to some effect had it been a man, but a woman—they really felt in despair.
"Come, dears," said Miss Pinchin, "we'll soon have it over. And you'll both be so relieved from your masses of untidy hair."
"But I like my hair; I love it," said Henny. "It's the same colour as mumsie's, poor old mums whose neck was broken. Oh, I say, it is cruel to serve us like this."
"How, don't talk any more nonsense, girls. Besides, after your hair is cut, you'll only be allowed to speak in French."
"Then we must be dumb," said Daisy, "for we don't know any French."
"I myself will have the pleasure of instructing you in that elegant language. You will soon know what is absolutely necessary for your wants. Now, enter your room, dears, for time is getting on."
These headstrong, naughty girls, who had done exactly what they liked at Templemore, now found themselves tongue-tied. A tall, gaunt woman was standing by the little window. In figure she was absolutely flat. Her dress was a dark and ugly shade of brown. In her hand she held a very large pair of scissors. Miss Crew looked absolutely calm and self-possessed. She got Daisy first into her clutches, and having wetted her tangled locks and reduced them to straightness, she proceeded to snip them off just above the shoulders. It was possible for Daisy to keep her hair behind her ears, but all trace of curl had vanished. The last semblance of her poor attempt at beauty had departed with the tangled curly locks.
Henrietta, whose hair was much thicker and richer, strangled a scream. She began to struggle.
"I won't. I say, I wont!" she cried.
"You will," said Miss Pinchin.
Crew set to work. The same performance took place over Henny's head. For those who admire red hair, she had lovely hair. It was thick and grew in great masses far below her waist. It showed also a far greater mass of curls than did Daisy's.
The brush and the cold water, however, were ruthlessly applied. The prescribed length was carefully measured by Miss Crew and the hair was cut in a straight line just to touch the shoulders. The golden red hair fell in a mass at the girl's feet.
"The young ladies' hair is naturally very curly," said Miss Crew. "I could, if you wished, madam, apply a pomatum to these heads which would prevent any inclination to curl for some time."
"Then please do," said Miss Pinchin.
The pomatum was used with vigour.
Daisy gave a howl of agony. Henrietta sobbed and sobbed and sobbed.
Miss Pinchin supplied each girl with a very large and coarse pocket-handkerchief.
"Dry your eyes and come to lessons now," she said in a cheerful tone. "You look quite respectable, I do declare. Crew, burn that hair."
"Certainly, Miss Pinchin."
When the two Mostyns and their governess entered Discipline they saw a girl seated by the centre table. She was a dark-eyed girl with an unprepossessing face. Her hair was short just like that of the Mostyn girls, and evidently the same pomatum had been used upon it, for there was not a trace of curl. She was busily employed reading her books and did not take the slightest heed of the Mostyns.
Lessons began. Miss Pinchin sat with her watch before her. She desired first Adelaide, then Henrietta, then Daisy to read a page of Green's Shorter History of England aloud. She wasted hardly any words in speech, but when the reading had come to an end, she told Henrietta and Daisy that in future they would have to read Little Arthur's History of England. Then she turned to Adelaide.
"Adelaide, you are improving. I don't praise. I state a fact. Now, for your French, my dears."
Adelaide instantly read a page from a French book.
"Translate it," said Miss Pinchin.
Adelaide did so.
"Now, Henrietta, will you read that page?"
"I can't. I don't know any French."
"Nor can I," said Daisy.
"What a pity! You are likely to be in Discipline for some time. By the way, Adelaide, I have spoken about you to Mrs. Faithful and she thinks you may go to Contrition on Monday next, that is, if there is no falling back."
"I shall like to go to Contrition," said Adelaide. "The room is so large."
"From there," continued Miss Pinchin, "you will be promoted to that delightful chamber which we call True Repentance, and then, after a short stay in Sweet Patience, you will have the run of the school. You will play in the grounds, your punishment-dress will be removed, and you will sit in Joy, Hope, Faith, and Charity. Thus you will indeed be happy. You will know what Felicity means. You will forget your evil ways and turn over a new leaf."
"And shall we have that chance?" burst from Henrietta.
"It is possible," replied Miss Pinchin. "Ah, here comes dinner."
The dinner was quite a good one, hot roast meat, potatoes, vegetables. In addition, a large glass of milk for each girl.
"A quarter of an hour I give you to eat your dinner in," said Miss Pinchin. "Now, pray, do not utter a word. I trust you to Adelaide's care, while I go downstairs to partake of my frugal meal."
The very instant the door was closed behind her, Henrietta and Daisy, with a sort of bound, leaped upon Adelaide.
"Oh, tell us, Addy, me honey, oh, for glory's sake, tell us what awful things are going to take place. Our hair is gone. Our clothes are gone. Our beauteous home is gone. What can be going to happen next?"
The only reply that Adelaide made was to raise her opaque, dark eyes and fix them on the faces of the two girls. Then she began with extreme rapidity to demolish her dinner. When Miss Pinchin reentered the room, however, Adelaide put into her hand a small piece of paper.
"They have spoken to me four times," she remarked. "I wrote what they said on this piece of paper. You may like to see it."
"Did you speak at all, Adelaide?"
"No, Miss Pinchin, how could I? I hope I am too well-behaved."
"You have acted rightly, but do not allow the evil weed of self-conceit to take possession of you. Girls," here she turned to the Mostyns, "I am going to take you to Penitence, and lock you in with a copy each of Milton's Paradise Lost. I have marked the passages you are to learn. I shall now take Adelaide for a brisk walk."
"But may we not go downstairs and play with the other girls?" suddenly burst from Henny's lips.
"You—Penitence girls—Discipline girls!—to dream of any intercourse with those who have left their bonds behind them. Come now, get into Penitence and learn your Milton. I will take you both for a walk after tea, for I have no wish to make you ill, and exercise and fresh air are necessary. Now, Adelaide, put on your bonnet."
Adelaide flew from the room. She put on the funniest little poke bonnet that could well be invented. It was made of coarse grey stuff the same as their dresses, but it was lined with white, and had white strings, which she tied in a neat bow under her chin.
"You are a great comfort to me, Adelaide," said Miss Pinchin, when the girl joined her teacher. "I shall miss you when you go to the Hall of Contrition. Don't you remember how naughty you were when you first came to Discipline. I greatly fear I have a harder task before me in training those Mostyns."
"You are equal to it," said Adelaide. "You are equal to anything." She put her hand inside her teacher's arm and gave it almost an affectionate squeeze.
"Let's go to the wood and gather flowers," said Adelaide.
"My dear, you forget. Flowers are not allowed in Discipline."
"I'm ever so sorry. Do forgive me."
"You will have flowers, to a small extent, in Contrition," said Miss Pinchin. "How, let us talk on holy subjects—on the straggles of the soul after righteousness. You have made a grand fight, and, like Christian of old, you are coming out of the Slough of Despond. I think highly of your future, Adelaide, and I feel that I—poor little humble I—have laid the foundation stone."
Adelaide, as was her custom, was quite silent. Miss Pinchin and she walked rapidly, although this part of the day was very hot and there was no shade anywhere. They were both scarlet and dripping with moisture when they returned to Discipline.
"This will do me good," said Adelaide. "It must get some of my wickedness out."
"It will, dear child, bless you. Now, I must attend to the Mostyns. I haven't an instant to spare."