Jeannie Hadden said it was just her mother's trouble about Reba, except that Reba was strong enough; only that Mrs. Hadden preferred a teacher to come to the house. "A good young-lady teacher, to give beginners a desirable style from the very first, is exceedingly needed since Miss Robbyns went away," said Mrs. Marchbanks, to whom just then her sister came and said something, and drew her off. Ruth's fingers flew over the keys; and it must have been magnetism that guided them, for in her brain quite other quick notes were struck, and ringing out a busy chime of their own. "If I only could!" she was saying to herself. "If they really would have me, and they would let me at home. Then I could go to Mr. Viertelnote. I think I could do it! I'm almost sure! I could show anybody what I know,--and if they like that!" It went over and over now, as she lay wakeful in bed, mixed up with the "forever--ever," and the dropping tinkle of that lovely trembling ripple of accompaniment, until the late moon got round to the south and slanted in between the white dimity curtains, and set a glimmering little ghost in the arm-chair. Ruth came down late to breakfast. Barbara was pushing back her chair. "Mother,--or anybody! Do you want any errand down in town? I'm going out for a stramble. A party always has to be walked off next morning." "And talked off, doesn't it? I'm afraid my errand would need to be with Mrs. Goldthwaite or Mrs. Hadden, wouldn't it?" "Well, I dare say I shall go in and see Leslie. Rosamond, why can't you come too? It's a sort of nuisance that boy having come home!" "That 'great six-foot lieutenant'!" parodied Rose. "I don't care! You said feet didn't signify. And he used to be a boy, when we played with him so." "I suppose they all used to be," said Rose, demurely. "Well, I won't go! Because the truth is I did want to see him, about those--patent rights. I dare say they'll come up." "I've no doubt," said Rosamond. "I wish you _would_ both go away somewhere," said Ruth, as Mrs. Holabird gave her her coffee. "Because I and mother have got a secret, and I know she wants her last little hot corner of toast." "I think you are likely to get the last little cold corner," said Mrs. Holabird, as Ruth sat, forgetting her plate, after the other girls had gone away. "I'm thinking, mother, of a real warm little corner! Something that would just fit in and make everything so nice. It was put into my head last night, and I think it was sent on purpose; it came right up behind me so. Mrs. Lewis Marchbanks and Jeannie Hadden praised my playing; more than I could tell you, really; and Mrs. Marchbanks wants a--" Ruth stopped, and laughed at the word that was coming--"_lady_-teacher for Lily, and so does Mrs. Hadden for Reba. There, mother. It's in _your_ head now! Please turn it over with a nice little think, and tell me you would just as lief, and that you believe perhaps I could!"