s. Pembrose, with a note of horror, "some of them--kiss each other!"

"But if they're fond of each other," said Lady Harman. "I'm sure I don't
see----"

And when the floor matrons were instructed to make little surprise
visits up and down the corridors the girls who occupied rooms took to
locking their doors--and Lady Harman seemed inclined to sustain their
right to do that. The floor matrons did what they could to exercise
authority, one or two were former department manageresses, two were
ex-elementary teachers, crowded out by younger and more certificated
rivals, one, and the most trustworthy one, Mrs. Pembrose found, was an
ex-wardress from Holloway. The natural result of these secret talkings
and conferrings in the rooms became apparent presently in some mild
ragging and in the concoction of petty campaigns of annoyance designed
to soften the manners of the more authoritative floor matrons. Here
again were perplexing difficulties. If a particular floor matron has a
clear commanding note in her voice, is it or is it not "violent and
improper" to say "Haw!" in clear commanding tones whenever you suppose
her to be within earshot? As for the door-locking Mrs. Pembrose settled
that by carrying off all the keys.

Complaints and incidents drifted towards definite scenes and
"situations." Both sides in this continuing conflict of dispositions
were so definite, so intolerant, to the mind of the lady with the
perplexed dark eyes who mediated. Her reason was so much with the
matrons; her sympathies so much with the girls. She did not like the
assured brevity of Mrs. Pembrose's judgments and decisions; she had an
instinctive perception of the truth that all compact judgments upon
human beings are unjust judgments. The human spirit is but poorly
adapted either to rule or to be ruled, and the honesty of all the
efforts of Mrs. Pembrose and her staffs--for soon the hostels at
Sydenham and West Kensington were open--were marred not merely by
arrogance but by an irritability, a real hostility to complexities and
difficulties and resisters and troublesome characters. And it did not
help the staff to a triumphant achievement of its duties that the girls
had an exaggerated perception that Lady Harman's heart was on their
side.

And presently the phrase "weeding out" crept into the talk of Mrs.
Pembrose. Some of the girls were being marked as ringleaders, foci of
mischief, characters it was desirable to "get rid of." Confronted wit