"Was it for the second offense? Had she been admonished once?"
"She knew better."
"Your Rules and Regulations make no conditions that they know better.
They shall be admonished once, and, for the second offense punished."
"They wouldn't do exactly the same thing twice, perhaps; but they would
do something as near like it as they could."
"We have no help for that, if we obey the Rules."
"We should be constantly admonishing."
"Wouldn't that be better than constantly punishing? Isn't it better to
err on the side of mercy than on that of severity? It seems to me a very
severe punishment to put upon a girl for so slight an offense. I think I
could have administered a rebuke that would have prevented her repeating
it towards me. It really makes me very unhappy to think she is locked up
there for a disrespect shown me."
"If you are satisfied with the punishment she has had, you can let her
out."
"Indeed I am!"
If she had been one of my women perhaps I should not have reminded the
Deputy that he had transcended his orders. Mary Muran was a shop woman.
When she was released from her solitary confinement she would return to
the shop. Mrs. Hardhack would call him to account for letting her off
with so slight a punishment. I gave him an answer for her.