y, as you jolly well deserve to be, you turn
and rend me, and say it is my fault. If all the new girls behaved as
you have done, I should have been in my little tomb long ago, and you
would have some one else to deal with. It seems to me, my dear, that
you don't recognise my duties. I am placed in a position of authority,
and am bound to enforce the rules. If the girls are obedient, well and
good; if they kick, well and good also. _I break 'em in_! I'm going to
break _you_ in, Rhoda Chester, and the sooner you realise it the happier
you'll be."

Rhoda looked at her fully, with a firmness of chin, a straightness of
eye, which argued ill for the success of the project.

"You will never break me in, as you call it, by domineering, and
treating me like a child."

"I know it, my dear. I haven't been studying girls all these years
without learning something of character. Some fillies you can drive
with a snaffle, others need the curb. You drive yourself, and
understand what I mean. I can see quite well that you are a proud,
sensitive girl, with a good heart hidden away behind a lot of nonsense.
If it were not for that heart I shouldn't trouble myself about you, but
simply give my orders, and see that they were obeyed. But there's
nothing mean about me, and I'd scorn to take an unfair advantage. Now,
I'll tell you straight that I have come to the conclusion that I judged
you wrongly about that pony business, and that you didn't mean to brag.
I saw by the way you flared out that you were really hurt, and I was
sorry. I've no pity on brag, but when I judge a girl wrongly I feel
sick. If it's any relief to your mind to know it, I believe that little
episode upset me more than it did you. When you said I was not worthy
of my position, and made new-comers wretched, you hit me very hard,
Rhoda, very hard indeed!"

She stopped short and jingled furiously at her chains, then suddenly
looked up, gave a roguish smile, and cried, insinuatingly--

"There, I've done my part. I've acknowledged I was wrong. You are no
coward, so you will do as much! You will admit that you have been a
difficult subject, won't you now?"

Rhoda looked at her and hesitated. She cleared her throat and
determined to speak openly, and then suddenly, suddenly, something
swelled at her throat, and she heard her own voice say chokingly:

"I suppose I've been stupid... I've never been accustomed to be--
ordered about! I'm sorry if I was di