“We are? Oh, you mean--yes, I see! My mother was. The Bristeads are Massachusetts people, Aunt Rebecca says. She says a Bristead marched out with the Lexington men, on the 19th of April, 1775. Aunt Rebecca says he played the fife all the way to the fight and then fought like fifty,” said Beth proudly. “You mean like fifety,” said Alys. “Don’t give us history at breakfast, Beth.” “I advise you to take history wherever you can get it; you need it,” said Natalie. Beth finished her breakfast in silence. She dimly felt a little snubbed by Alys; besides the rose room was so jewel-like in its beauty that she was glad to enjoy it while her uncle and aunt discussed plans in which she did not know that she had an interest, but which concerned her closely. “Now for the day’s work!” said Natalie when she arose from the table. “You haven’t seen the schoolroom, have you, Beth?” “I haven’t seen lots of the house,” said Beth. “That’s so; we’ll show it to you! Not this afternoon, because Alys and I are going to start you as a dancer to-day. To-morrow is dancing class day, and I’m going to have you know a little about it before you see all the girls. But the next day--that will be Sunday?--after church, then, we’ll take you all over this house. Now come up with us and show us what a learned person you are, Elizabeth Bristead. They say all Massachusetts children speak Greek just as naturally as they wear spectacles. But you don’t wear spectacles, do you?” Natalie stooped to look close into Beth’s eyes as if to make sure that this surprising fact were really true. Beth laughed. Natalie’s mixture of big girl kindliness with perfect friendliness was winning Beth’s affection fast; it was not a hard thing to do, for Beth was as inclined to love as a heliotrope is inclined to the warmth of the sun. She slipped her hand confidingly into her oldest cousin’s and they preceded Alys up-stairs. Dirk lingered to prove how easily he could overtake the girls two steps at a time. Beth knew that he had succeeded, because Alys screamed and sat down on her feet to protect her ankles from his energetic pinching. Dirk stood in awe of his father, but once safe from his eye Dirk lost few opportunities of making Alys’s life a burden. He was planning like pleasures in Beth’s case, whose gentle, shy and sweet manner promised her an easy victim. “What a schoolroom!” cried Beth stopping short. “Why, I never saw such a schoolroom. There’s nothing in our school at home like it! Is it all for you alone?” “No, it’s for you too, this winter,” laughed Natalie.