Beryl could only guess at the meaning of the word disciplinarian; but she gave it credit for the most unpleasant significance. She pouted and scowled as she crossed the room to the side window, which commanded a view of the entrance-gate.
"I have no doubt she will be everything that is horrid," she muttered to herself.
"I hope she will teach you to be better-tempered, and to speak politely to your aunt," said Miss Hollys, unable to hear her niece's words, but guessing from Beryl's angry face that they were not of a correct nature.
The speech which trembled on Beryl's lips then was anything but a polite one, and would certainly have demonstrated her need of instruction in courtesy; but happily, she remembered how often she had had to repent of her hasty utterances, and checked this retort in time. As Beryl was quiet, and provoked no further reproof, Miss Hollys turned her attention to Coral.
"Leave that dog alone, Coral!" she exclaimed, speaking in the severe tone in which she generally addressed the child whom she regarded as an unwelcome addition to the household. "I hope Miss Burton will teach you how wicked it is to be cruel to poor dumb animals. How would you like anybody to treat you in that way?"
Coral thus detected in stealthily pulling the poodle's tail, with a view to rousing him from his lethargic state, coloured deeply; and finding herself quite unable to imagine what her feelings would be if she were in the dog's place, tried to escape from the uncomfortable speculation by running to join Beryl at the window.
But Beryl came to her defence. She could not resist this opportunity of giving her aunt an indirect hit in exchange for her annoying rebukes.
"It does not hurt that creature to have his tail pulled," she declared, eyeing the poodle contemptuously. "He is too fat to have any feeling. All he can do is to eat and sleep. I would not have such a stupid dog for the world."
"That is because you are a very silly girl," said Miss Hollys, colouring with anger at hearing her pet thus disparaged. "I am sure Coral did hurt him, poor fellow. Hear how he is moaning."
Beryl laughed, and gave Coral a glance, which plainly spoke her amusement at the idea of the poodle's sleepy grunts being interpreted as expressions of pain.