escape....

"That dear child," smiled Fraulein's voice, "who has just left us, came
under this roof... nearly a year ago.

"She came, a tender girl (Mademoiselle--Mademoiselle, oh, goodness!)
from the house of her pious parents, fromme Eltern, fromme Eltern."
Fraulein breathed these words slowly out and a deep sigh came from
one of the Germans, "to reside with us. She came in the most perfect
confidence with the aim to complete her own simple education, the pious
and simple nurture of a Protestant French girl, and with the aim also to
remove for a period something of the burden lying upon the shoulders
of those dear parents in the upbringing of herself and her brothers and
sisters" (And then to leave home and be married--how easy, how easy!)

"Honourably--honourably she has fulfilled each and every duty laid upon
her as institutrice in this establishment.

"Sufficient to indicate this fulfilment of duty is the fact that she was
happy and that she made happy others----"

Fraulein's voice dropped to its lowest note and grew fuller in tone.

"Would that I could here complete what I have to say of the sojourn of
little Aline Ducorroy under this roof.... But that I cannot do.

"That I cannot do.

"It has been the experience of this pure and gentle soul to come, under
this roof, in contact with things not pure."

Fraulein's voice had become breathless and shaking. Both her hands
sought the support of the table.

"This poor child has had unwillingly to suffer the fact of associating
with those not pure."

"Ach, Fraulein! What you say!" ejaculated Clara.

In the silence the leaves of the chestnut tree tapped one against the
other. Miriam listened to them... there must be a little breeze blowing
across the garden. Why had she not noticed it before? Were they all
hearing it?

"With--those--not pure."

"Here, in this my school."

Miriam's heart began to beat angrily.

"She has been forced, here, in this school, to hear talking"--Fraulein's
voice thickened--"of men...."

_"Manner--geschichten... here!"_

_"Manner--geschichten."_ Fraulein's voice rang out down the table. She
bent forward so that the light from both the windows behind her fell
sharply across her grey-clad shoulders and along the top of her
head. There was no condemnation Miriam felt in those broad grey
shoulders--they were innocent. But the head shining and flat, the wide
parting, the sleekness of the hair falling thinly and flatly away from