Peggy from Kerry by L.T. Meade

But Kitty had not gone to the Lower School. She was not going there any more. All of a sudden, just as though the hand of Almighty God Himself were stretched out, she was stopped in her wickedness. When Peggy spoke to her it was like the writing on the wall at the impious feast described in the Bible: "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. " She walked rapidly, her head in a whirl, her breath coming quickly. How near to success she had been, but instead of success she had touched failure. Kitty was clever enough to know that in Peggy she had met an antagonist worthy of her powers; there was no getting round Peggy, there was no cajoling her, there was no rousing her pity. Peggy was sorry for others, but not for Kitty. Kitty recognised as a fact beyond all other facts that Peggy would do what she said; there was nothing for her, therefore, but in the moment of Peggy's success to go away. She must leave The Red Gables, she must leave her schoolfellows, she must leave her hopes, her ambitions, all her plans for the future. She was found wanting. Yes, to her, Peggy stood in the place of God-Peggy, the Irish peasant girl, whom she had despised. She did not despise her now. In all the world she had never respected any one as she did Peggy Desmond at that moment.

In her little dark frock, without any hat, wearing her thin shoes and those black silk stockings which she had secured in so mean a manner, Kitty entered the village of Gable End and called at Miss Weston's. Miss Weston was astonished to see the girl, and not a little frightened.