growing pale and thin however, and Papa saw with concern that, as the
summer went on, she became too languid to read, or study, or sew, and
just sat hour after hour, with folded hands, gazing wistfully out of
the window.

He tried the experiment of taking her to drive. But the motion of the
carriage, and the being lifted in and out, brought on so much pain, that
Katy begged that he would not ask her to go again. So there was nothing
to be done but wait for cooler weather. The summer dragged on, and all
who loved Katy rejoiced when it was over.

When September came, with cool mornings and nights, and fresh breezes,
smelling of pine woods, and hill-tops, all things seemed to revive, and
Katy with them. She began to crochet and to read. After a while she
collected her books again, and tried to study as Cousin Helen had
advised. But so many idle weeks made it seem harder work than ever. One
day she asked Papa to let her take French lessons.

"You see I'm forgetting all I knew," she said, "and Clover is going to
begin this term, and I don't like that she should get so far ahead of
me. Don't you think Mr. Berger would be willing to come here, Papa? He
does go to houses sometimes."

"I think he would if we asked him," said Dr. Carr, pleased to see Katy
waking up with something like life again.

So the arrangement was made. Mr. Berger came twice every week, and sat
beside the big chair, correcting Katy's exercises and practising her in
the verbs and pronunciation. He was a lively little old Frenchman, and
knew how to make lesson-time pleasant.