oise's breaths came long and deep drawn, and she stood motionless, her
eyes hidden.

CHAPTER XVI

THE FIRST LESSON

Jewel looked up as she heard a knock. Sarah had made the bed and gone.
Who could this be?

At her "Come in," Eloise entered the room. The child's face brightened
questioningly. She rose and gazed at the enchanted maiden, very lovely
in the wrapper of white silk, open at the throat, and with little
billows of lace cascading down to the toes of her white Turkish
slippers.

"Good-morning, cousin Eloise," said the child, waiting for the message
or order which she supposed to be forthcoming.

"Good-morning." The girl cast a comprehensive glance around the rather
bare room. Her eyes bore no traces of the tears so recently shed, but
her face was sad. "I heard you singing," she said.

"Yes. Did I disturb anybody?" asked the child quickly.

"No. It is nice to be like the birds that sing in the rain."

"Like the robin out there," returned Jewel, relieved. "Did you hear
him?" She ran to the window and threw it open, listening a minute. "No,
he has gone."

"You said you would show me your doll," went on Eloise when the window
was closed again.

"Oh," returned Jewel pleased, "did you come to see Anna Belle? She's
right here. We were just going to have the lesson." She took the doll
from the depths of a big chair and held her up with motherly pride.
"Would you--won't you sit down a minute?"

To her great satisfaction, her beautiful visitor condescended to take
the chair Anna Belle had vacated, and held out her white, ringless hands
for the doll.

"How neatly her clothes are made," said the girl, examining Anna Belle's
garments.

"Yes, my mother made her all new ones when she knew she was going to
Europe, so that she would be neat and not mortify me. Would you like to
see her clothes?" eagerly.

"Yes, I should."

Jewel brought them, her quick little fingers turning them back and
forth, exhibiting the tiny buttonholes and buttons, and chattering
explanations of their good points.

"It was a great deal for your mother to do all this, when she is such a
busy woman," said Eloise.

"Yes, she did it evenings, and then surprised me just when we were
coming away. Wasn't it lovely?"

"Very."

"I love prettiness," said the child. As she spoke she regarded the grave
face beside her. "When I first noticed that my nose wasn't nice, and
neither were my eyes, I almost cried."

Eloise looked up at her,