"Oh, never mind what you think," said Ethelyn, rudely, "you know the last time you preached to me, I nearly made mamma discharge you, and I'll do it for sure if you try it again." Miss Morton bit her lip and said nothing, for she was a poor girl and had no wish to lose her lucrative position in the St. Clair household, though her ideas were widely at variance with those of her employers. But Patty's sense of justice was roused. "Oh, Ethelyn," she said, "how can you speak to your teacher so? You ought to be ashamed of yourself." "Oh, Miss Morton don't mind, do you?" said Ethelyn, who was really only careless, and had no wish to be unkind, "and it's true. I will have her sent away if she preaches at us, 'cause I hate it; but she won't preach any more, will you, Morty?" and Ethelyn smiled at her governess in a wheedlesome way. "Go on with your lessons," said Miss Morton, in a quiet tone, though she was with difficulty repressing a desire to tell her pupil what she thought of her. "Yes, do," growled Reginald; "how can a fellow study when you're chattering away with your shrill voice?" "I haven't got a shrill voice," retorted Ethelyn, "have I, Patricia? Mamma says a soft, low voice is very stylish,--correct, I mean, and I'm sure mine is low and soft." Ethelyn said this in such an affected whisper that Patty had to smile. But Reginald said: "Pooh, of course you have when you put on airs like that, but naturally your voice is a cross between a locomotive whistle and scratching on a slate." "It isn't!" "It is!" "Well, yours isn't a bit better, anyway." "I didn't say it was, did I?" "I didn't say you did say so, did I?" "I didn't say you said I said so, did I?" "I didn't say you said, I said--you said,--" "Children, stop quarreling," said Miss Morton, half laughing at the angry combatants whose flushed faces showed signs of coming tears. But Patty laughed outright. "What sillies you are," she said, "to squabble so over nothing." When school was over, it was time for luncheon, and after that Ethelyn told Patty that it was the afternoon for dancing-class and they were all to go. "You must wear your blue crape, Patricia," she said, "and make yourself look as pretty as you can, and put on all your jewelry." "But I haven't any jewelry," said Patty; "papa says little girls oughtn't to wear any." "No jewelry? Why, how funny. I have loads of it. Well, no matter, I'll lend you some of mine; or we'll crib some out of mamma's jewel-case; I know where she hides the key." "Thank you, Ethelyn, but I wouldn't wear borrowed ornaments, and I don't want to wear jewelry anyway. I'm not old enough." "Oh, you are too! what silly, old-fashioned notions you have. And besides, while you're with us, mamma said you must do whatever we want you to." So Patty reluctantly allowed Ethelyn to clasp a necklace round her throat, and slip several jingling bangles on her wrists.