She did not doubt the truth of what Harriet Smales had told her, for she herself had already entertained uneasy suspicions, dating indeed from the one interview she had had with Mrs.Starr, when Ida was first brought to the school, and deriving confirmation from a chance meeting in the street only a few days ago.

It was only too plain what she must do, and the necessity grieved her.

Ida had not shown any especial brilliancy at her books, but the child's character was a remarkable one, and displayed a strength which might eventually operate either for good or for evil.
With careful training, it seemed at present very probable that the good would predominate.

But the task was not such as the schoolmistress felt able to undertake, bearing in mind the necessity of an irreproachable character for her school if it were to be kept together at all.

The disagreeable secret had begun to spread; all the children would relate the events of yesterday in their own homes; to pass the thing over was impossible.