I love this scene where Esmé admits to telling the kids she loves them mainly to spite them...and then Billy goes on about how it really bugs him when she says it. Then, she lets him know how hard he makes her job, and she's sick of it. "How about you see how hard you make it for me? You teach tomorrow."
She makes this deal with him; he can either teach for the day or be suspended for swearing (his reaction the first time she mentioned the idea), arguing, and not working.
She always stays so calm in these various situations and knows exactly how to handle them, just like Ismene!
The next day is so interesting! It's really neat how Billy imitates Madame so perfectly and vice versa. They both learn so much by simply stepping into and walking in eachother's shoes (just like Scout had to learn in To Kill A Mockingbird).
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