"I'm afraid it isn't all right," Fräulein Hauser said impatiently. "I just can't have you in my class. I'll put you on the walk list for tomorrow." Flip turned her head and left. She walked blindly down the corridor but she had managed to control her tears by the time she got to the big Hall. 3 On Sunday she could not help telling Paul of her defeat. Paul had immediately seen that something was wrong, asking, "What's the matter?" "I know I could learn to ski if she'd just let me go on trying," Flip persisted. "I know I could." Ariel was licking her face in a worried manner and she put her head down on his back to try to hide the tears that were threatening. "Bring your skis over next Sunday and I'll help you," Paul told her. "Oh, would you really, Paul?" "I said I would. Do you think it's because of your bad knee you told me about?" Flip shook her head. "No. My father asked the doctor when Eunice gave me her skis and he said skiing was fine for me. So it isn't that." "Well, bring your skis next time then," Paul told her. So Flip brought her skis over. Madame Perceval arrived just as they were about to set off. "Hello, Philippa, Paul, what's this?" she asked, fending off Ariel's frantic welcome. "I'm going to teach Flip to ski," Paul announced. "Oh?" "Fräulein Hauser said I had to drop skiing," Flip explained. "Why, Philippa?" "She said I just couldn't learn and she couldn't teach me. But Madame, I'm sure I _can_ learn, I'm sure I can." "Why don't I go out with you and Paul?" Madame Perceval said, "and we'll see." She watched while Flip put on her skis, watched her push off, fall down, push off and fall down again. "Where did you get your skis?" she asked. "A friend of my father's gave them to me. They were hers." "Take them off for a moment," Madame Perceval said. "Now raise your arm." She measured the skis against Flip. "Just as I thought. They're much too long for you. I don't know what your father's friend was thinking of. She can't know much about skiing." "Well, she says she's skied a lot," Flip said. "Maybe she was trying to impress father. He doesn't know anything about skiing. He used to use snow shoes when he was a boy." Madame Perceval took the skis away from Flip. "No wonder you couldn't learn on these. They would be too long for Paul. I don't know why Fräulein Hauser didn't notice it at once." "She probably would have on anybody else. People just expect me to be bad at sports." Madame Perceval laughed. "You're probably right, Philippa. And Fräulein Hauser certainly has her hands full with beginners this year. Now, there's a pair of very good ash skis back at school that would be just about right for you. One of the girls from last year left them. I think I'll run along back and get them. You and Paul wait inside for me." "Oh, thank you, Madame!" Flip cried. "Thank you Aunt Colette," Paul added.