he Specialities."

"I will go to my room," said Betty. "I don't mind punishment at all."

"You ran a very great risk, dear, when you went into that byroad and
were attacked by those fierce dogs. It was a marvel that they took to
you. It is extremely wrong of Farmer Miles to have them loose, and I
must speak to him."

"And please," said Betty, "may we go to tea there--we three--one
evening?"

"I will see about that. Try to keep every rule. Try, with all your might
and main, to conquer yourself. I am not angry with you, dear. It is
impossible to tame a nature like yours, and I am the last person on
earth to break your spirit. But go up to your room now, and--kiss me
first."

Betty almost choked when she gave that kiss, when her eyes looked still
deeper into Mrs. Haddo's beautiful eyes, and when she felt her whole
heart tingle within her with that new, wonderful sensation of a love
for her mistress which even exceeded her love for Margaret Grant.

CHAPTER X

RULE I. ACCEPTED

Betty's room was empty, and at that time of day was rather chill, for
the three big windows were wide open in order to let in the fresh, keen
air. Betty walked into the room still feeling that mysterious tingling
all over her, that tingling which had been awakened by her sudden and
unexpected love for Mrs. Haddo. That love had been more or less dormant
within her heart from the very first; but to-day it had received a new
impetus, and the curious fact was that she was almost glad to accept
punishment because it was inflicted by Mrs. Haddo. Being the sort of
girl she was, it occurred to her that the more severe she herself made
the punishment the more efficacious it would be.

She accordingly sat down by one of the open windows, and, as a natural
consequence, soon got very chilled. As she did not wish to catch cold
and become a nuisance in the school, she proceeded to shut the windows,
and had just done so--her fingers blue and all the beautiful glow gone
from her young body--when there came a tap at the room door. Betty at
first did not reply. She hoped the person, whoever that person might be,
would go away. But the tap was repeated, and she was obliged in
desperation to go to the door and see who was there.

"I, and I want to speak to you," replied the voice of Fanny Crawford.

Instantly there rose a violent rebellion in Betty's heart. All her love
for Mrs. Haddo, with its softening influence, vanished; it melted slowly
out of