ertainly are on an equality with them here. If Mrs. Van Dorn had
asked me to take you as a return for some past favors, you would still
have been put on an equality, and I should not have considered it
sailing under false colors. But she pays the usual terms for you, and
the favor is between yourself and her. So you can dismiss all thoughts
of that from your mind. I think she desires to have you trained in
society ways, which you can do by watching the best examples and
following them. You will like some girls very much, and girls are
largely given to think that a true friendship must begin by telling each
other all the little happenings of their lives. It is a good rule to
consider in these matters whether you would like the girl to tell this
over to someone who did not admire you so much, and who repeated it with
little embellishments to the next eager listener."

"But she could not if it was a confidence," said Helen decisively.

"Girls' consciences are elastic," smiling a little. "I think they do not
mean to make mischief, but I have known more than one regret caused by
an incautious confidence. Girls have many things to learn before they
are women, but a light and happy heart is the birthright of a girl and
she need not hurry to outgrow it. Still one can study wisdom as well as
other lessons, and like most of them, it is a lifelong study."

Helen was considering and wondered if she understood. She had never been
counseled in this spirit. "I want you to know that you are in no sense a
charity scholar, as the phrase goes, though I have had several who
worked their way through school, gave for whatever they obtained, which
is far from charity, I take it. I will only add, choose your friends,
which implies some discrimination on your part. Did you like the girls
at the table? They are all in the French class and they talk French
during the five school days. That is not demanded of the new scholars.
Monday we will begin in regular order and I will have your classes
arranged."

Then she touched a pretty bell that stood on the table and Miss Aldred
answered the summons.

"Grace, will you take Miss Grant through the schoolrooms?" she asked,
and Miss Aldred smiled as she gave a gesture of assent.

Helen followed her guide. This was the general assembly room, here the
different recitation rooms, here the drawing classes met and there were
casts and busts and figures in plaster, and several very well executed
paintings