actually
felt. It was wicked of Esther, utterly foolish and unreasonable, to
intend surrendering to her own shyness and lack of self-confidence, as
with Dick's abetting she evidently intended doing. Why, Esther might
have a truly great future! Professor Hecksher had assured Mrs. Ashton
that she only required time, training and more self-confidence. For,
although when Esther was finally under the sway of her music, she was
able to throw her whole force and fervor into it, in the beginning of
any performance she was often awkward and shy, alarming her audience
with the impression that she might break down. Professor Hecksher had
even suggested that Esther's voice might be beautiful enough for grand
opera when she grew older and had more experience.

With this last thought still in mind, Betty finally returned to the
sitting room to spend the rest of the evening with her brother and
sister. Often she had thought of how curious it was that she could speak
of Dick and Esther in this fashion when they bore not the slightest
relation to each other!

She found them sitting on opposite sides of a small table, a complete
silence pervading the room, although neither one of them was reading.
Esther's face was flushed and Dick's a little pale. As Dick rose to give
his chair to the newcomer, Esther spoke:

"Please don't go, Dr. Ashton," she said. And Betty wondered idly why
Esther should suppose that Dick intended leaving the room. More often
than not he spent his evenings at home with them. "I only want to tell
you, Betty dear," she continued, "that you were quite right this
afternoon in saying that I was wrong in refusing this chance to sing at
Professor Hecksher's concert. Of course I am not going to give up my
work now, when I have been struggling and struggling to learn even the
little bit I know. Then if I never sing in public how am I ever to earn
that fortune which I have promised to bestow on you, Princess?"

Esther laughed, but Betty frowned with an expression unusual to her.

"I don't want you to keep on with your singing, Esther, for my sake,"
she protested. "Mother and I are accustomed now to being poor and don't
mind it. So if there is anything else you would prefer to do with your
life, please don't waste a thought on me."

Esther shook her head reproachfully. "Don't be silly and don't be cross,
Princess," she pleaded. "You know perfectly well that I can no more help
thinking about you than I can help breathing.