'My sum,' said Phyllis.

'Is this your time of day for arithmetic?' asked he.

'No,' said Phyllis, 'only I had not done it by one o'clock to-day,
and Lily said I must finish after learning my lessons for to-morrow,
but I do not think I shall ever have done, it is so hard. Oh!'
(another stretch and a yawn, verging on a howl), 'and Jane and Ada
are sowing the flower-seeds. Oh dear! Oh dear!' and Phyllis's face
contracted, in readiness to cry.

'And is that the best position for doing sums?' said Claude.

'I was obliged to lie down here to get out of the way of Ada's sum,'
said Phyllis, getting up.

'Get out of the way of Ada's sum?' repeated Claude.

'Yes, she left it on the table where I was sitting, where I could see
it, and it is this very one, so I must not look at it; I wish I could
do sums as fast as she can.'

'Could you not have turned the other side of the slate upwards?' said
Claude, smiling.

'So I could!' said Phyllis, as if a new light had broken in upon her.
'But then I wanted to be out of sight of pussy, for I could not think
a bit, while the kitten was at play so prettily, and I kicked my
heels to keep from hearing the voices in the garden, for it does make