56 THE CINDERELLA FROCK.

‘© What, provoked to strike, Rovina ?
Elizabeth, how did you provoke her ?”’

Miss Wright was very precise and method-
ical in her way of dealing with offenders ; and
Lizzie, who felt she was not quite blameless
herself, had dreaded this question. She would
sift the affair to the bottom, she knew that,
and then who knew she would fare one bit
better than Rovina? So, she pouted and
mumbled away, and after much time spent,
and a world of cross-questioning, bit by bit
the whole came out. Not a word of comment
made Miss Wright.

‘¢ And now, Alice Lisle tell your TT
was the next command, the teacher turning
with no gentle face towards Alice.

Poor Alice, regardless of her bloody face,
had sat there looking up at Rovina with eyes
expressive only of the most heartfelt commis-
eration. She did not speak immediately, but