Helen was a trifle appalled. Education had seemed a rather simple thing at Hope. She sighed as she glanced up at Miss Grace. "Oh, where is there time to learn it all?" she asked with a sinking at the heart. "You do not have to learn it in one day or one week," was the smiling answer. "And every day it grows easier." "But--music! I've never even touched a piano." "Do you sing?" "Yes, a few little songs and Sunday hymns. And sometimes out of doors I try to catch the bird notes. They are no special tunes, you know, but I always have to stop at the warble," and she laughed brightly. Miss Grace nodded, rather amused. "And I have never studied Latin or French." "Everyone has to begin, though the babies in France talk French, which I believe once surprised a woman who was traveling in France." "Oh!" Then Helen laughed gayly. "And this is our drawing room. Once a month we have sociables, given by one of the seniors who has to arrange everything just as she would if she were in society. And the other girls are the guests." It was a beautiful long room, with a bay window at the side which made a very pretty break in it. At both ends were double windows. The floor was matted, with rugs here and there. The furniture was simple and tasteful; two cabinets were filled with handsome china and bric-a-brac, and there was one case of elegant books. The real reading and study books, histories, and so on, were in the reception room and the study room. Then they walked out on the porch where a bevy of girls had congregated. "I have been introducing Miss Grant to the house," Miss Aldred said in her soft, pleasant tone, "and now you girls may tell her what we do and how we do it, and anything else that will not make her feel homesick." Helen was sure she should never have one yearning for Hope Center. "Oh, Miss Aldred, don't you think we might go down town this afternoon and introduce her to the town where she will have to find her social nutriment for the next ten months?" "Social, indeed," laughed Miss Mays. "Well, what is it? Our intellectual nutriment is here, and though we sometimes study wood and wilds you cannot exactly describe it as natural pabulum, and though we do a little shopping you can't designate it as financial forage. But we will not bother about exact definition until next week, so that we can go, Miss Aldred?" imploringly. "I see no objection at present." The stage had come up with some scholars, and Miss Aldred went to receive them. "I am really going to take Miss Grant in charge. First, let us have a walk about our own domain."