Girls of the Forest

anding, therefore, Miss Tredgold's startling announcement with regard to Nancy King, they slept soundly; and the next morning when nine o'clock

nd she went quite creditably through her alphabet, and did not squig

alf-way by being attentive and intelligent and earnest in their work, she on her part would do all in her power to make lessons agreeable; she would teach them in a way whi

whisper one to another that Aunt Sophia was deve

iano was to arrive from Broadwood's, and Aunt Sophia announced that she

nging. I will sing you old-fashioned songs to-night, and I quite hope that I may lur

ied Briar. "Aunt Soph

and he and I spent happy times together, he played his v

cs," said Verena. "We have never touched i

How are the mighty fallen! My dears, you had better sa

full of a certain mistiness and her cheeks were very pink

e done, poor children! if I had not been able to come to the rescue? It does seem almost i

re the good lady. "Don't you like to feel you are so useful, the grand piano co

, Penny. You are talkin

heard.' Nursey always says that when I ask her questions that I want special to know. But when I comed down this morning I asked Betty what being under your thumb meant, and she said, 'Oh, lor', Miss Penny! You had better look out,

ld had turn

she said when the loquac

head. "You knows o

d.' I will add to that remark by saying that little girls are sometimes impertinent. I shall not say anythi

id Penelope-"if I'm awful good

aid Miss Tredgold.-"But now, girls, go out. T

time fully occupied, leisure was delicious. They wandered under the trees; they opened the wicket-gate which led into the

n the midst of tea a wild dissipation occurred, for a piano-van came slowly down the rutty lane which led to the front avenue. It stopped at the ga

t and touched the ivory

night when it is dusk,"

ays appeared for the evening meal. He took the foot of the table, and stared in an abstracted way at Aunt S

hia in her sharp voice; "the ch

hat he carved very badly. Miss Tredgold bore it for a day or two; then she desired the parlor-maid to convey the joint to the head of the table wher

ming has come, and music is waiting to

you, my dears,"

ng the room when s

room. Aunt Sophia has got her new piano. She means

thing of the kin

and looked abstractedly at Miss Sophia, who was

e, Sophia--"

overed his eyes

ren; she played and she sang. I liked her songs; I hate the twaddle of the present day. Now I am returning to my Virgil. My renderings of

ooks of reference lay in confusion by his side. An open manuscript was in front of him. He took up his pen. Very soon he would be absorbed by the strong fascination of his studie

was the only woman I ever loved-the only woman I could tolerate in my house. My children, my girls, are none of them women yet, thank the Almighty. When they are they w

asterly. It came with a merry sound and a certain quick rhythm that seemed to awaken the echoes of the house. Impossible as it may appear, Mr. Dale forgot the ancient classics and the dim world of the past. He lay back in his chair; his lips moved; he beat time with his knuckles o

any woman, and became absorbed in those ringing notes that stole along the passage and entered by the open door and surrounded him like lightsome fai

ing down the passage. In the old days this passage was always dark; no one ever thought of lighting the lobbies and passa

voice beg

whereon the wil

igh. It floated towards him. Sud

s, I am coming. Don't call me with such

into the drawing-room. His eyes were full of excitement. He s

ust turned and

there. I hoped that this would draw

past," he said

he said, and bega

into "Home, Sweet Home"; "Home, Sweet Home" into "Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonny Do

ut and locked the piano, and th

ubt that most of you have got voices. You ought to be musical, for music belongs to both sides of your house. There was once a time w

ch it now. I have not touched it for yea

is ripe. Now, no more music to-night. T

thout a word. Miss Tredgol

our Virgil," she said. "Don'

had whipped him, but he took her at

d its value by being chary in regard to it. She only played as a special treat. She

areless, or cross and sulky, I don't intend to amuse you in the evenings. I was brought up on a stricter plan than the girls of the prese

e would probably be a handsome woman by-and-by, but now she was plain, with a somewhat sallow face, heavy black brows, and eyes that could scowl when anything annoyed her. She was the next eldest to Verena, and was thirteen years of age. Her birthday would be due in a fortnight. Even at The Dales birthdays were consid

y happy returns of the day. And now for g

t she was talked about. She knew when, the girls retired into corners that she was the object of their eager conversations. The whole thing was most agreeable to her sense of vanity, and when she suddenly appeared round a corner and perceived that work was put out of sight, that the eager whisperers started apart, and that the girls looked conscious and as if they wished her out of the way, she quite congratulated hersel

d got up early, and was walking by herself in the garden. She felt terri

done something for us. How horrid it would be

arm and talking in low tones, crossed her path. They did no

have pink than blue

rimmed with blue," wa

of Pauline, uttered shrieks, an

s almost past bearing. Of course, they're talking about my birthday presents. I d

Tredgold's sharp voi

you a bad mark for want of punctuali

the wrong way. She gave Miss Tredgold one of her most ungracious scowls and went slowly into the house. There she lingered purposely before she condescended to tidy her ha

usual hour of recreation before dinner. You will have to write out the first page of Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel; and you must do it without making an

spered and made presents for, to be treated in this scant and ungracious fashion? She would not put up with it. Accordingly she was very inattentive at her lessons, fai

They would sit under the overhanging trees; they would eat fruit and talk nonsense and laugh. Doubtless they would talk about her and the birthday so nea

eaving the room, "I can't do this horrid writi

morning; you disobeyed my rules. Take the punishment which I am

d some paper, and sat down to her unwelcome task. She wrote very badly, and when the hour was over she had not half copied the task assigned to her. This bad beg

was now thor

s if I let them think I am all softness and yielding. The fact is, I have shown them the

the obstinate and sul

hed. I have told you and your sisters that there is such a place as Punishment

you mean?"

l therefore be punished for the next twenty-four hours. You are a very naughty girl. Naughty girls

? What is it? I

ed to work up your neglected tasks and learn them thoroughly. You must neither play with nor speak to your sisters. You will have no indulgence of any sort. When y