and it is
pleasant to know that this year at least there is absolute unanimity
among them. I have gone over your voting papers, girls, and have
pleasure in telling you that, with the natural exception of the winner
herself, the same name was given by all. There is one girl who,
whatever may be her faults and shortcomings, has never failed to show
the most generous and unselfish friendship, one girl who has put her own
interests aside and been content to suffer for the sake of others, one
girl who has ever been on the watch to do a kindly act or speak a loving
word, a girl whom everyone loves, who counts every member of the
household among her admirers, and that girl's name is--"

She paused and looked smilingly at her pupils, and on the instant came
the loud answering cry. The girls waved their hands in the air, they
drummed on the ground with their feet. "Pixie!" they cried, "Pixie
O'Shaughnessy!" and "Pixie!" once again, "Bravo, Pixie!" "Three cheers
for Pixie!" until they were hoarse with shouting, and Miss Phipps held
up her hand for silence.

It was really a most exciting scene. Every eye was riveted on Pixie
herself, who had applauded as violently as her companions when Miss
Phipps first asked her question, and whose shrill cry of "Margaret!
Margaret!" had been frozen on her lips by the sound of her own name.
There she sat with her mouth agape, too much overcome by surprise to
have any thought for appearances, and there sat Bridgie looking on and
crying copiously with happiness, and Esmeralda blinking the tears away
and laughing furtively at Jack, who was grunting to himself, "Silly
fuss! Silly fuss!" and putting on a great appearance of boredom to
distract attention from the tears on his eyelashes. There sat Mr and
Mrs Vane, too, beaming with pleasure that their prize should have gone
to Pixie of all people, and Lottie rubbing her hands and growing
hysterical in delight. Then Pixie was marched up to the desk to be
presented with the envelope containing the crisp new note, and when she
had taken it she must needs turn round and face the audience, instead of
scuttling back to her seat in abashed, self-conscious fashion like other
girls, and even address a word of acknowledgment for the applause
bestowed upon her. "I'm very much obliged to ye!" she said in the
broadest of Irish accents, and all the fathers and mothers lay back in
their chairs and laughed until they were tired, and clapped so
enthusiastic