“Pray report us if you wish, and then Miss Groome can do as she pleases about giving us detention school; it would really be rather a lark.” Rhoda laughed scornfully. “I am top of the whole school this week, Dorothy was top last week and the week before; so you can see how necessary it is for us to be reported for slackness.”
“You are very rude.” Miss Ball was nearly spluttering with anger, but Rhoda grew suddenly calm, and she bowed in a frigid fashion.
“We thank you for your good opinion; pray report us if you see fit,” she drawled, then went her way, leaving Dorothy to bear alone the full force of the storm which she herself had raised.
It was some tempest, too. Miss Ball was a very fiery little piece, and she had often had to smart under the lash of Rhoda’s sarcasm. She was so angry that she completely overlooked the fact of Dorothy’s entire innocence of offence, and she raged on, saying all the hard things which came into her mind, while Dorothy stood silent and embarrassed, longing to escape, yet seeing no chance to get away.
“Is anything wrong, Miss Ball?” It was the quiet voice of the Head that spoke. She had come upon the scene without either Miss Ball or the victim hearing her approach.
“I have had to reprimand some of these girls of the Sixth for wasting their own time, and teaching, by example, the younger girls to become slackers also,” said Miss Ball, who looked so ashamed at being caught in the act of bullying that Dorothy felt downright sorry for her.
“I don’t think we can write Dorothy down a slacker,” said the Head kindly, and there was such a twinkle of fun in her eyes that Dorothy badly wanted to laugh.
“Example stands for a tremendous lot,” said Miss Ball. “The Sixth are very supercilious, even rude, in their manner to the Form-mistresses, and it is not to be borne without a protest.”
“Ah! that is a different matter,” said the Head, becoming suddenly brisk and active. “Do I understand that you are bringing a charge against the Sixth collectively, or as individuals?—Dorothy, you can go.—Miss Ball, come into my room, and we will talk the matter out quietly and in comfort.”
Dorothy was only too thankful to escape. It was horrid of Rhoda to treat a mistress in such a fashion. It was still more horrid of her to go away leaving all the brunt of it to fall upon Dorothy, who was entirely unoffending.