as a little dashed, but as it came
back to her mind what it was that she wanted to say, she recovered
herself. "In a few days I shall be learning properly," she thought, and
then Penelope would not outstrip her.

"Listen to me," she said eagerly, as she perched herself on the foot of
Penelope's bed. Angela stirred, and catching sight of Esther, was wide
awake in a moment.

"What is it?" she demanded. "Has anything happened?"

"Listen," said Esther again, "both of you. I want to tell you about our
schooling. Cousin Charlotte stopped me last night as I was going to bed,
to have a talk; it was about our lessons. We are to begin on Monday."

"Where are we going?" asked Penelope. "There isn't any school here, is
there?"

"No, Cousin Charlotte is going to teach us herself. Isn't it good of
her?"

"I am sure I shall never learn. She will be shocked at me," said Angela
nervously. "She doesn't know how backward I am. Fancy me, nine years
old, and not able to read yet. I shall be ashamed to look, and there she
will be all day long. I would rather go somewhere where I could get away
when lessons are over."

"Don't be silly," said Esther. But Angela had only expressed something of
her own feeling.

Penelope was sitting up in bed now, her eyes alight. "How jolly," she
said, half absently. Then in low, eager tones, "I wonder if she will let
us learn just what we want to? I don't want to learn grammar and sums.
I want to know about people, and wars, and battles, and revolutions, and I
want to learn French and music and to sing. When I grow up I should like
to be able to sing and play _very_ well. I would rather do that than
anything. I wonder if Cousin Charlotte would let me learn?"

Esther looked up in mild disapproval of Pen's enthusiasm. It worried her
when her sisters showed any unusual traits, or expressed desires that
differed from her own. Penelope very often worried her in that way.
Poppy too, at times. She felt a twinge of jealousy always that the idea
had not first come to her, and of resentment that they should have tastes
apart from her.

"I don't suppose Cousin Charlotte would if she could," she said coldly.
"Of course you must learn grammar, and history, and geography, and all
those things first. Every one has to learn them."

Penelope looked disappointed, but she was not one to worry.
"Perhaps before long I shall be able to do both," she said cheerfully.
"I wish Cousin Charlotte had