"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, and 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." "So am I, for your sake. I can help you in Latin, if that would be any comfort to you." "It wouldn't be much comfort to me," said Ellen, laughing; "mamma wanted me to learn Latin, but I wanted to learn French a great deal more. I don't care about Latin, except to please her." "Permit me to ask if you know English?" "Oh yes, ma'am, I hope so; I knew that a great while ago." "Did you? I am very happy to make your acquaintance then, for the number of young ladies who _do_ know English is, in my opinion, remarkably small. Are you sure of the fact, Ellen?" "Why yes, Miss Alice." "Will you undertake to write me a note of two pages that shall not have one fault of grammar, nor one word spelt wrong, nor anything in it that is not good English? You may take for a subject the history of this afternoon." "Yes, ma'am, if you wish it. I hope I can write a note that long without making mistakes." Alice smiled. "I will not stop to inquire," she said, "whether _that long_ is Latin or French; but, Ellen, my dear, it is not English." Ellen blushed a little, though she laughed too. "I believe I have got into the way of saying that by hearing Aunt Fortune and Mr. Van Brunt say it; I don't think I ever did before I came here."