h a blush, "Mithter Conthtantini is
jutht _wonderful_. Are you going to take muthick lethons? You'd jutht
_love_ him! And bethides, if you take muthick, you can drop thience."

"I don't think I could get very far with the piano in one year," said
Nancy with a smile.

"Oh, he doethn't teach piano. He teacheth violin."

"And of course, the violin is so much simpler," remarked Charlotte.
"Mr. Constantini has a rolling black eye, and an artistic
temperament--inclined to have fits, _I_ think----"

"Fitth, Tharlotte!" cried Denise, in bitter reproach. "Why, he'th
jutht _lovely_! He doethn't have fitth at _all_!"

"Well, it sounds as if _somebody_ were having fits, to hear all the
awful squeaks and groans that come out of the music room, while one of
our rising Paganinis is having her lesson. I always imagined that it
was poor Mr. Constantini," replied Charlotte, mildly. "Anyway, the
point is, that Constantini is a beautiful creature, and consequently a
year of violin is considered infinitely more improving than a year of
science. Personally, I think that the study of the violin ought to be
forbidden under penalty of the law, except in cases of the most acute
genius. I think that the playing of one wrong note on the violin ought
to be punishable by a heavy fine, and playing two, by imprisonment for
life, or longer. There are times when I feel that hanging is far too
good for Dolly Parker. She ought to be boiled in oil, until tender----"

Nancy laughed.

"So you take the year of science? That's where I belong, too, I
suppose."

"Tharlotte plays the piano jutht beautifully," said Denise. "She
compotheth----"

"My brother calls it decomposition," said Charlotte, reddening, as she
always did when any of her talents were lauded, and trying to turn it
off with a joke.

Miss Leland rose, and the room became silent, since she appeared to be
about to make an announcement.

"To-night, girls, there is, of course, no study-hour, and special
privileges are extended to you all," she said, in her clear,
well-trained voice. "You have an hour for recreation after dinner, and
I hope that all the old girls will make a point of helping our new
girls to forget that they are not at home. Prayers will be at nine, as
usual, and you will not be required to be in your rooms before
nine-forty-five. No doubt you all have a great deal to talk about, so
I am going to be lenient with you to-night. To-morrow, the regular
scho