Miss Fortune, however, was still quietly seated by the fire stirring her meal and hop-water, and Ellen could not be quick; the words stuck in her throat--came out at last. "Aunt Fortune, I wanted to ask you if I may go to school?" "Yes." Ellen's heart sprang with a feeling of joy, a little qualified by the peculiar dry tone in which the word was uttered. "When may I go?" "As soon as you like." "Oh, thank you, ma'am. To which school shall I go, Aunt Fortune?" "To whichever you like." "But I don't know anything about them," said Ellen; "how can I tell which is best?" Miss Fortune was silent. "What schools are there near here?" said Ellen. "There's Captain Conklin's down at the Cross, and Miss Emerson's at Thirlwall." Ellen hesitated. The name was against her, but nevertheless she concluded on the whole that the lady's school would be the pleasantest. "Is Miss Emerson any relation of yours?" she asked. "No." "I think I should like to go to her school the best. I will go there if you will let me--may I?" "Yes." "And I will begin next Monday--may I?" "Yes." Ellen wished exceedingly that her aunt would speak in some other tone of voice; it was a continual damper to her rising hopes. "I'll get my books ready," said she; "and look 'em over a little too, I guess. But what will be the best way for me to go, Aunt Fortune?" "I don't know." "I couldn't walk so far, could I?" "You know best." "I couldn't, I am sure," said Ellen; "it's four miles to Thirlwall, Mr. Van Brunt said; that would be too much for me to walk twice a day; and I should be afraid besides." A dead silence. "But, Aunt Fortune, do please tell me what I am to do. How can I know unless you tell me? What way is there that I can go to school?" "It is unfortunate that I don't keep a carriage," said Miss Fortune; "but Mr. Van Brunt can go for you morning and evening in the ox-cart, if that will answer." "The ox-cart! But, dear me! it would take him all day, Aunt Fortune. It takes hours and hours to go and come with the oxen; Mr. Van Brunt wouldn't have time to do anything but carry me to school and bring me home." "Of course; but that's of no consequence," said Miss Fortune, in the same dry tone. "Then I can't go--there's no help for it," said Ellen despondingly. "Why didn't you say so before. When you said yes I thought you meant yes." She covered her face. Miss Fortune rose with a half smile and carried her jar of scalded meal into the pantry. She then came back and commenced the operation of washing-up the breakfast things. "Ah, if I only had a little pony," said Ellen, "that would carry me there and back, and go trotting about with me everywhere--how nice that would be!"