"Yes," said Alice, laughing; "I don't wonder you look astonished, Ellen. I have had that cat five years, and when he was first given me, by my brother Jack, who was younger then than he is now, and had been reading Captain Parry's _Voyages_, gave him that name, and would have him called so. Oh, Jack!" said Alice, half laughing and half crying. Ellen wondered why. But she went to wash her hands, and when her face was again turned to Ellen, it was unruffled as ever. "Margery, my cakes are ready," said she, "and Ellen and I are ready too." "Very well, Miss Alice — the kettle is just going to boil; you shall have tea in a trice. I'll do some eggs for you." "Something — anything," said Alice; "I feel one cannot live without eating. Come, Ellen, you and I will go and set the tea-table." Ellen was very happy arranging the cups and saucers and other things that Alice handed her from the cupboard; and when, a few minutes after, the tea and the cakes came in, and she and Alice were cozily seated at supper, poor Ellen hardly knew herself, in such a pleasant state of things. CHAPTER XVII. Difficulty of doing right. "Ellen dear," said Alice as she poured out Ellen's second cup of tea, "have we run through the list of your troubles?" "Oh, no, Miss Alice, indeed we haven't; but we have got through the worst." "Is the next one so bad it would spoil our supper?" "No," said Ellen, "it couldn't do that, but it's bad enough, though; it's about my not going to school. Miss Alice, I promised myself I would learn so much while Mamma was away, and surprise her when she came back, but instead of that I am not learning anything. I don't mean not learning _anything_," said Ellen, correcting herself; "but I can't do much. When I found Aunt Fortune wasn't going to send me to school, I determined I would try to study by myself; and I have tried; but I can't get along." "Well, now, don't lay down your knife and fork and look so doleful," said Alice, smiling; "this is a matter I can help you in. What are you studying?" "Some things I can manage well enough," said Ellen — "the easy things; but I cannot understand my arithmetic without some one to explain it to me: and French I can do nothing at all with, and that is what I wanted to learn most of all; and often I want to ask questions about my history." "Suppose," said Alice, "you go on studying by yourself as much and as well as you can, and bring your books up to me two or three times a week; I will hear and explain and answer questions to your heart's content, unless you should be too hard for me. What do you say to that?" Ellen said nothing to it, but the colour that rushed to her cheeks — the surprised look of delight — were answer enough. "It will do, then," said Alice; "and I have no doubt we shall untie the knot of those arithmetical problems very soon. But, Ellen, my dear, I cannot help you in French, for I do not know it myself. What will you do about that?" "I don't know, Ma’am; I am sorry."