ayed lightly a delicate movement, and
then broke into an Irish air, "The Harp that once through Tara's Halls."
From one Irish melody to another her light fingers wandered. She played
with perfect correctness--with fire, with spirit. Soon she forgot
herself. When she stopped, tears were running down her cheeks.

"What is music, after all," she said, looking full into the face of her
teacher, "when you are far from the land you love? How can you stand
music then? No, I don't mean to learn _music_ at the Great Shirley
School; I can't. When I am back again at home I shall play 'The Harp
that once through Tara's Halls,' but I can't do it justice here. You
will excuse me; I can't. I am sorry if I am rude, but it isn't in me.
Some time, if you have a headache and feel very bad, as my dear father
does sometimes, I shall play to you; but I can't learn as the other
girls learn--it isn't in me."

Again she put her fingers on the keys of the piano and brought forth a
few sobbing, broken-hearted notes. Then she started up.

"I expect you will punish me for this, Miss Spicer, but I am sorry--I
can't help myself."

Strange to say, Miss Spicer did not punish her. On the contrary, she
took her hand and pressed it.

"I won't ask you to do any more to-day," she said. "I see you are not
like others. I will talk the matter over with you to-morrow."

"And you will find me unchanged," said Kathleen. "Thank you, all the
same, for your forbearance."

CHAPTER VI.

THE POOR TIRED ONE.

Mrs. Tennant spent the afternoon out shopping. She told the girls at
dinner that she would be home for tea, that she expected to be rather
tired, and hoped that they would be as good as possible. The boys were
always out during the afternoon, and as a rule never returned until
after tea; but Alice and Kathleen were expected to be in for this meal.
When Mrs. Tennant walked down the street, Kathleen went to the window
and looked after her.

"What are you going to do this afternoon?" said Alice, who was lying
back in an easy-chair with an open novel in her hand.

"I don't know," replied Kathleen. "What a dull hole this is! How can you
have grown up and kept well in a place like this?"

"Opinions differ with regard to its dullness," said Alice. "I think our
home a very pleasant, entertaining place. I wouldn't live in your wild
castle for all you could give me."

"Nobody asked you, my dear," said Kathleen, with a saucy nod of her
head.

She le