very thing about the school;
what I had done there; till at last I was quite tired of answering. Then I
asked some questions in my turn.

The family consisted of a master and mistress, three children (all young),
and four servants. My business, I heard, was the care of the second
drawing-room, to help the nurse till two o'clock, and after that time to
help the cook. I wished that it had fallen to my chance to have had a
place more decidedly a _one_ place than this seemed to be; but I did not
dare to say a word. I was very much tired, and cook told me that I might
go to bed; for mistress (who was out) would not return till too late to
speak to me that night. Very glad I was to go. I was to sleep in the room
with the cook and housemaid; but had a small bed to myself. Tired as I
was, I could not sleep. When they came into the room, they believed me to
be asleep, and they went on talking for a long time. I wished not to hear
what they said; for though I could not understand half of it, I was sure
that what they talked about was very wrong. With such companions I felt
that I could never be happy. I longed for morning, that I might write at
once to the matron of my school and tell her so.

But what would the matron say? I knew well that she would chide me; for in
the very last advice she gave me, she said that I must expect, when I went
into the world, to meet with evil-speakers and with evil-doers, and that
it must be my constant care to keep myself unspotted from bad example. I
thought of this over and over again, and determined that, whatever might
happen, I would try to do right. Besides, I had not seen the nurse yet;
she might be a person that I could like; and in this hope I went to sleep.

When I awoke, the bright sunlight was shining in through the window; I was
alone in the room, and I was sure that it was very late. I was dressing
hurriedly when the door softly opened. It was Maria Wild. "How soundly you
have slept!" she said; "I had not the heart to awake you; but you must
make haste now, for mistress is down, and has asked for you, and we have
finished breakfast." I was not long in following her. The cook had kept
some tea warm for me; her manner seemed kinder, and I wished that I could
forget what had passed. By-and-by the parlor bell rang. It was for me;
and, with a beating heart, I prepared to go into the presence of my first
mistress.

What a pretty, sweet, gentle lady! and so very young that I could scarcel