“Ah! he should not have done so; I do not allow girls to be punished in that manner here.  I shall speak to the signor about it.  But you will go and finish your lesson.”

Lulu made no movement to obey, no reply except a look that said plainly that she had no intention of obeying.

“Did you hear me, miss?” he asked wrathfully.

“I did; but I have already said several times that I would never be taught by that man again.”

He made a step toward her and a threatening gesture, but paused, seemed to consider a moment, then saying, “We will see what your guardians have to say about that,” turned and left the room.

Every one seemed to draw a long breath of relief, and smiles, nods, and significant glances were exchanged.

“The hour for the closing of school has arrived, young ladies, and you are dismissed,” said Miss Diana; and she also sailed from the room.

Instantly the girls, some twenty in number, flocked about Lulu with eager, excited exclamations and questions.

“Did he really strike you, Lu?”

“How did you take it?”

“I hope you returned the blow?  I certainly shall if ever he dares to lift his hand to me.”  This from a haughty-looking brunette of fourteen or fifteen.

“Brings it down, you mean, with a snap of his pointer on your fingers,” laughed a merry little girl with golden hair and big blue eyes.

Neither Rosie nor Evelyn had spoken as yet, though the one was standing, the other sitting, close at Lulu’s side.

Lulu’s left hand lay in her lap, her handkerchief wrapped loosely about it.  Eva gently removed the handkerchief, and tears sprang to her eyes at sight of the wounded fingers.

“Oh, Lu!” she cried in accents of love and pity, “how he has hurt you!”

A shower of exclamations followed from the others.  “Hasn’t he? the vile wretch!”

“Cruel monster! worst of savages!  He ought to be flogged within an inch of his life!”

“He ought to be shot down like a dog!”

“He ought to be hung!”

“It’s a very great shame,” said Rosie, putting her arm affectionately round Lulu’s neck.  “I hope grandpa will have him arrested and sent to prison.”

“But oh, Lu,” cried Nettie Vance, the one who had brought the signor’s message, “do tell me, didn’t you strike him back?  He looked as if he had had a pretty heavy blow on the side of his face.”

“So he had; as hard a one as I could give with the music-book in both hands,” replied Lulu, smiling grimly at the recollection.

Her statement was received with peals of laughter, clapping of hands and cries of,

“Good for you, Miss Raymond!”

“Oh, but I’m glad he got his deserts for once!”

“I think he’ll be apt to keep his hands—­or rather his pointer—­off you in the future.”

“Off other people too,” added a timid little girl who had felt its sting more than once.  “I was rejoiced to hear the professor say he didn’t allow such punishment for girls.  I’ll let the signor know, and that I’ll inform on him if ever he touches me with his pointer again.”