So Anstice told her a good deal about the children, and felt what a boon her experience and insight of character would be to the little girls, and also to herself. She returned home having settled that Mrs. Fergusson should come regularly every morning to give the children lessons from nine to one. She preferred to come to them rather than that they should come to her, and Anstice was relieved, for she had feared that the temptation to play truant sometimes would prove too much for them. When she came home, she broke the news at once to the little girls. They were astounded and at first most indignant. "We aren't going to have governesses, and we hate old women!" "Mrs. Fergusson is not old. Do you know what turned her hair so white? Do you know that the little girls whom she taught in Russia and loved were all horribly murdered? One of them only escaped, and the horrors that she had seen and experienced sent her mad. She has never recovered her senses." Interest was aroused at once. "Ivan never told us that." "No, and I don't think his mother has told him. You had better say nothing about it, I only tell you to make you feel for Mrs. Fergusson. She loved those little girls, and they loved her. They were little princesses. Don't you think if they liked Mrs. Fergusson so much that you might do the same?" "It isn't fair to spring lessons on us." "But didn't we agree that for a month we should try work in the morning and play in the afternoon? We are going to give it a trial." There was silence. Then Josie shrugged her shoulders. "It's no good going to Ruffie to make him decide. You've got him quite over on your side. It isn't fair." "You come over too," said Anstice, laughing; "then we shall be a very happy family." "Did Mrs. Fergusson see the Czar being murdered? Did she see the little girls being killed?" asked Georgie breathlessly. "No, but she heard about it, and she has seen the one poor child who is left alive." Anstice walked away. She had announced her intentions, and thought the less discussion about it the better. The very next morning Mrs. Fergusson appeared. She rode on a tricycle which was well known to the little girls, as they had had rides on it themselves when playing with Ivan. Anstice had made a very comfortable room of the library. Curtains and chair-covers had been renovated, a fresh carpet put down, and the whole room cleaned and polished till everything in it looked spotless and shining. This was to be the schoolroom and only used for lessons. The first morning of study was an undoubted success. Mrs. Fergusson never doubted for a moment her capacity to interest and teach. Her methods of doing so were entirely new to the children, and they were as clay in her hands. Anstice hardly expected to hear Josie say as she did when she came to luncheon: "Georgie and me like Mrs. Fergusson. It doesn't seem like lessons when she teaches us." And she was inexpressibly thankful for the result of her endeavours.