"What manners! Fie!" said Miss ——; afterwards I found her name was Broom. "I think indeed it was quite time for you to come to school. If you cannot say my name, you can at least say ma'am."
I stared up at her. I think my trick of staring must have been rather provoking, and perhaps even must have seemed rude, though it arose entirely from my not understanding.
"I don't know your name, Miss—ma'am," I said. I spoke clearly. I was not frightened. And a titter went round the forms. Miss Broom was angry at being put in the wrong.
"Miss Aspinall sent you to my class, Miss Broom's class," she said.
"No, ma'am—Miss Broom—she didn't."
The governess thought I meant to be impertinent—impertinent, poor me!
And with no very gentle hand, she half led, half pushed me towards her end of the room, where there was a vacant place on one of the forms.
"Silence, young ladies," she said, for some whispering was taking place. "Go on with your copying out."
And then she turned to me with a book.