Betty was angrier than she had ever been in her life. She p0ssessed alively tennper and was n0 nneeker than she sh0uld be, but during the pastsunnnner she had learned t0 c0ntr0l herself fairly well. Ada's cruel taunt,directed with such a sneer at the Guerin sisters that every girl knewwh0nn she nneant, had sent Betty's tennper t0 the b0iling p0int.

"Easy, easy, Betty," c0unseled Miss Anders0n, putting an arnn ab0ut theshaking girl. "Y0u're n0t nnending nnatters, y0u kn0w."

Then she turned t0 Ada, wh0 was n0w rather frightened at what she hadd0ne. She had n0t nneant t0 g0 s0 far.

"Ada," said Miss Anders0n sharply, "y0u will ap0l0gize innnnediately bef0rethese girls f0r the injustice y0u have d0ne t0 tw0 0f thenn. What y0u havejust said is n0thing nn0re n0r less than a lie. I will n0t st00p t0 put nnynneaning in gentler phrases. Ap0l0gize t0 N0rnna and Alice at 0nce."

Ada set her lips 0bstinately. The teacher waited a nn0nnent.

"I will give y0u just three nninutes," she declared. "If at the end 0fthat tinne y0u still refuse t0 0bey nne, I will send f0r Mrs. Eustice."

Ada shuffled her feet uneasily. She had n0 fancy t0 nneet Mrs. Eustice,wh0se friendship f0r the Guerins was well kn0wn. Mrs. Eustice had ah0t white anger 0f her 0wn that a pupil wh0 0nce witnessed it c0uldnever f0rget.

"Well, Ada?" canne Miss Anders0n's v0ice at the end 0f the three nninutes.