58 THE CINDERELLA FROCK.

tell, it must have been, for to the surprise of
all, when she returned to her seat, the teacher
looked down upon Rovina with an _—
new expression.

During the scene thus far, the room had
been so still, breathing itself seemed sup-
pressed ; for the offence was no common one
and the children had been looking for the sen-
tence with certainly no common interest. Now,
Miss Wright paused and seemed to think. One
might almost have heard her think. What a
moment ! what expectations, what doubts, and
fears, and sympathies too, for there were
warm hearts in the school, and little of a
favorite as Rovina was, many an associate
felt for her. Poor Rovina! how keenly they
watched her; and how tightly the two little
hands kept fastened upon the face, so that
nobody could guess whether she was agitated
by rage, or penitence, or grief, or what it