The experiment of
taking her up succeeded so well, that on Sunday she was fully attired,
"fit to receive company." As she lay on the sofa there seemed an advance
toward recovery. Much sweet coquetry was expended in trying to look
her best for her father; and her best was very well, for though the
brilliant bloom of health was gone, her cheeks had not lost their pretty
rounded contour, and still had some rosiness, while her large bright
blue eyes smiled and sparkled. A screen shut out the rest of the room,
making a sort of little parlour round the fire, where sundry of the
family were visiting her after coming home from church in the afternoon.
Ethel was in a vehement state of indignation at what had that day
happened at school. "Did you ever hear anything like it! When the point
was, to teach the poor things to be Christians, to turn them back,
because their hair was not regulation length!"

"What's that! Who did?" said Dr. May, coming in from his own room, where
he had heard a few words.

"Mrs. Ledwich. She sent back three of the Cocksmoor children this
morning. It seems she warned them last Sunday without saying a word to
us."

"Sent them back from church!" said the doctor.

"Not exactly from church," said Margaret.

"It is the same in effect," said Ethel, "to turn them from school; for
if they did try to go alone, the pew-openers would drive them out."

"It is a wretched state of things!" said Dr. May, who never wanted
much provocation to begin storming about parish affairs. "When I am
churchwarden again, I'll see what can be done about the seats; but it's
no sort of use, while Ramsden goes on as he does."

"Now my poor children are done for!" said Ethel. "They will never come
again. And it's horrid, papa; there are lots of town children who wear
immense long plaits of hair, and Mrs. Ledwich never interferes with
them. It is entirely to drive the poor Cocksmoor ones away--for nothing
else, and all out of Fanny Anderson's chatter."

"Ethel, my dear," said Margaret pleadingly.

"Didn't I tell you, Margaret, how, as soon as Flora knew what Mrs.
Ledwich was going to do, she went and told her this was the children's
only chance, and if we affronted them for a trifle, there would be no
hope of getting them back. She said she was sorry, if we were interested
for them, but rules must not be broken; and when Flora spoke of all who
do wear long hair unmolested, she shuffled and said, for the sake of
the teachers, a