Hannah, nothing loath, obeyed, and soon to Peggy’s listening ears was revealed a vast amount of the treacherous ways and the cruel doings of The Imp. But before Hannah began her story she looked full into the dark-blue eyes of the Irish girl and asked: “Have you ever been at school before?”
“Yes, sure I have, an’ I’m up to Third Standard.”
“I only asked you for this reason,” continued Hannah.
“What raison? Out with it, an’ be quick.”
“It is this. You won’t tell anybody what I am saying to you now in confidence?”
“Here’s me tongue,” said Peggy, putting out the pretty little red member, “ye can cut it off if ye find me tale-bearin’.”
“That’s all right, Peggy, and now listen. I mean to like you and I know lots of the other girls in the Lower School who will like you too, and they’ll be, oh so thankful that you have come, for we are all terribly afraid of The Imp; indeed, some of us call her worse than The Imp, we call her The Brat, for you see she has got a sort of real power over us, she makes us do just exactly what she likes. At all times and in every place we have to do precisely what The Imp wants us to do, and we’re real cowards to allow it.”
“So ye be, there’s no doubt on that point,” said Peggy.
“But you are not afraid of any one, are you, Peggy?”
“Yerra, niver a wan!” was Peggy’s response.