young girls of the respective ages of twelve and fourteen, "that
French exercise must be perfect, and your English lessons as well.
Elsie," to a little girl of eight, sitting alone at a desk near
one of the windows, and bending over a slate with an appearance of
great industry, "every figure of that example must be correct,
your geography lesson recited perfectly, and a page in your
copybook written without a blot."

"Yes, ma'am," said the child meekly, raising a pair of large soft
eyes of the darkest hazel for an instant to her teacher's face,
and then dropping them again upon her slate.

"And see that none of you leave the room until I return,"
continued the governess. "Walter, if you miss one word of that
spelling, you will have to stay at home and learn it over."

"Unless mamma interferes, as she will be pretty sure to do,"
muttered Arthur, as the door closed on Miss Day, and her
retreating footsteps were heard passing down the hall.

For about ten minutes after her departure, all was quiet in the
school-room, each seemingly completely absorbed in study. But at
the end of that time Arthur sprang up, and flinging his book
across the room, exclaimed, "There! I know my lesson; and if I
didn't, I shouldn't study another bit for old Day, or Night
either."

"Do be quiet, Arthur," said his sister Louise; "I can't study in
such a racket."