As soon as Kitty had left the room, Alice turned to her mother.
"Are you going to encourage her in all her follies?" she asked.
"My dear Alice, I don't encourage her in her follies; but there is no use in pulling the poor child up short every moment. She expresses herself quite correctly when she says that she is wild; she is not broken in. But to break in Kitty Malone too thoroughly might also break her heart, and that would never do."
"Break her heart! I don't believe she has got one," said Alice. "But, there, I can't talk any longer on the subject."
It occurred to her that if she started immediately for school she might call for Bessie Challoner, and tell her what had occurred. Bessie's sympathy would be very sweet, and Alice determined to secure it if possible. Accordingly she left the house, and at about a quarter to nine found herself at Bessie's house. Bessie was standing on the steps drawing on her gloves.
"Why, Alice, what has brought you?" she cried; "and where is Kitty?"
"Oh, don't mention Kitty, if you don't want to rile me beyond endurance," said Alice.
"I always do rile you when I mention her," answered Bessie; "but where is she all the same?"
"With mother--she is coming to school with mother."
"With your mother--to Middleton School! What do you mean?"
"Only that mother has to bring her. She has got into no end of a row."
"Come out, Bessie," said Alice. "It is a little early to get to school, but we may as well walk slowly, and I will tell you all about it as we go along."
This Alice did, enlarging much upon Kitty's dress, her crimson blouse, her bare arms, the college cap on her head, and her little shoes with the buckles and rosettes.
"She must have looked very pretty," said Bessie.
"Bessie! you really are enough to distract any one. Don't you see the impropriety of it? Don't you see that this will get all over the place? People will say that a Middleton girl dressed so unsuitably, so loudly, that--Oh, don't you see it?"
"I don't see anything in it except a silly, foolish, girlish act, uncommonly like Kitty Malone," said Bessie. "You are determined to make mountains out of molehills, Alice."
"No, I am not," said Alice. "Anyhow," she added in a tone of triumph, "Miss Sherrard thinks it disgraceful, and so does Miss Worrick. I suppose you will not go against the opinions of your own mistresses, will you, Bessie?"