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oiselle," he said, stiffly. "I am opposed to corporal punishment, however mild. I disapprove of it on principle. As to playmates, she is better alone. It is when she disobeys us and seeks other children that trouble invariably follows. We have had mournful demonstration of that to-day."

The governess dropped her eyes. She knew what that narrow line of the lips meant. She had seen it too often during the past six months not to recognize the obstinacy it denoted. In all matters save this of his special hobby Professor Seymour was gentle and easily moved. Here—he apparently stood like a rock, and not even Hildegarde's small local explosions could shake his firm convictions concerning her. Again and again the governess had seen him ruthlessly demolish some charming bit of lore the child had learned from her small friends. She herself had dried Hildegarde's tears when Johnnie Garside had been shown up as wholly unreliable on the subject of fairies. She had sympathized with Hildegarde's disappointment in not finding a mermaid in the garden fountain, as Johnnie had promised, and she had experienced a lively sense of understanding when the little girl had lain down on the garden walk and fiercely kicked out her revolt against her father's relentless presentation of cold facts concerning brownies. For it was inevitable that Hildegarde Seymour, being the one child in the neighborhood who was not permitted a knowledge of fairy lore,