at is what I thought," said Karen. "For I am sober, too, and I want
to read so many things, in the evening, you know, Gregory. I want to
read Political Economy and understand about politics; Tante does not
care for politics, but she always finds me too ignorant of the large
social questions. You will teach me all that, won't you? And we must
hear so much music; and travel, too, in your holidays; I do not see how
we can have much time for many dinners. As for dances, I do not know how
to dance; would that make any difference, when you went? I could sit and
look on, couldn't I?"

"No, indeed; you can't sit and look on; you'll have to dance with me,"
said Gregory. "I will teach you dancing as well as Political Economy.
She must have lessons, mustn't she, Betty? Of course you must learn to
dance."

"I do not think I shall learn easily," Karen said, smiling from him to
Betty. "I do not think I should do you credit in a ballroom. But I will
try, of course."

Gregory was quite prepared for Betty's probes when Karen went upstairs
to her room. "What a dear she is, Gregory," she said; "and how clever it
was of you to find her, hidden away as she has been. I suppose the life
of a great musician doesn't admit of formalities. She never had time to
introduce, as it were, her adopted daughter."

"Well, no; a great musician could hardly take an adopted or a real
daughter around to dances; and Karen isn't exactly adopted."

"No, I see." Betty's eyes sounded him. "She is really very nice I
suppose, Madame von Marwitz? You like her very much? Mrs. Forrester
dotes upon her, of course; but Mrs. Forrester is an enthusiast."

"And I'm not, as you know," Gregory returned, he flattered himself, with
skill. "I don't think that I shall ever dote on Madame von Marwitz. When
I know her I hope to like her very much. At present I hardly know her
better than you do."

"Ah--but you must know a great deal about her from Karen," said Betty,
who could combine tact with pertinacity; "but she, too, in that respect,
is an enthusiast, I suppose."

"Well, naturally. It's been a wonderful relationship. You remember you
felt that so much in telling me about Karen at the very first."

"Of course; and it's all true, isn't it; the forest and all the rest of
it. Only, not having met Karen, one didn't realize how much Madame von
Marwitz was in luck." Betty, it was evident, had already begun to wonder
whether Tante was as lovely as she looked.

CHAPT