"And you would naturally like to be very well educated, wouldn't you?" said Maggie. "Certainly; but I suppose we are--that is, after a fashion." "Yes," said Maggie, "after a fashion, doubtless; but you will go into society by-and-by, and you'll find--well, that home education leaves out a great many points of knowledge which cannot possibly be attained except by mixing with other girls." "I suppose so," said Merry, speaking with a slight degree of impatience; "but then Cicely and I can't help it. We have to do what father and mother wish." "Yes, exactly, Merry; and it's so awfully sweet and amiable of you! Now, may I describe to you a little bit of school-life?" "If you like, Maggie. Molly and Isabel have often told me of what you did in Hanover." "Oh, Hanover?" said Maggie with a tone of slight contempt. "We don't think of Hanover now in our ideas of school-life. We had a fairly good time, for a German school; but to compare it with Mrs. Ward's house! Oh, I cannot tell you what a dream of a life I have lived during the last term! It is only to see Mrs. Ward to love her; and all the other mistresses are so nice, and the girls are so very select and lady-like. Then we take a keen interest in our lessons. You're the musical one, aren't you, Merry?" "Yes. How ever did you find that out?" "Well," said Maggie, "I looked at you, and I guessed it. Besides, I heard you hum an air under your breath yesterday, and I knew at once that you had a lovely voice." "I am sure I haven't; and I'm too young to begin singing-lessons." "Not a bit of it. That's quite an exploded idea. If, for instance----Oh, of course I know you won't be there; but if you were so lucky as to be a pupil at Mrs. Ward's you would be taught to sing, and, what is more valuable, you would hear good, wonderful, beautiful singing, and wonderful, beautiful music of all sorts. Once a week we all go to a concert at Queen's Hall. Have you ever been there?" "No! I don't know London at all." "Well, then, another day in the week," continued Maggie, "we go to the different museums and picture-galleries, and we get accustomed to good art, and we are taught to discern good from bad. We learn architecture at St. Paul's and the Abbey and some of the other churches. You see, Mrs. Ward's idea is to teach us everything first-hand, and during the summer term she takes us on long expeditions up the river to Kew and Hampton Court and all those dear old places. Then, in addition, she has what she calls reunions in the evenings. We all wear evening-dress, and she invites two or three friends, and we sing and play among ourselves, and we are taught the little observances essential to good society; and, besides all the things that Mrs. Ward does, we have our own private club and our own debating society, and--oh, it is a full life!--and it teaches one, it helps one."