rage her doing that
before people. It is too evident that there is something wrong. She
never gets off one tone. But I will let her speak to you. She will be
glad to go with you. She likes you, and I dare say you can put up with
her. A woman when she is alone will make a companion of a brazen image.
You can manage all right for everything except her clothes and lessons.
I will pay for them."

"Can't I give her lessons?"

"Well, you can try, but I am afraid you will need to have Mr. Freer come
over once a week. It seems to me to be quite a knack to teach the deaf
and dumb. You can see. I will have Effie come in and tell her about
the plan. I wanted to go to Europe this summer, and did not know how to
manage about Effie. It will be a godsend to me, this arrangement, and of
course after the year is up she can come back."

With that Felicia touched a bell, the maid appeared with automatic
readiness, and presently a tall little girl entered. She was very well
dressed. Her linen frock was hand-embroidered, and her shoes were ultra.
Her pretty shock of fair hair was tied with French ribbon in a fetching
bow, and she made a courtesy which would have befitted a little
princess. Poor Effie's courtesy was the one feature in which Felicia
Hempstead took pride. After making it the child always glanced at her
for approval, and her face lighted up with pleasure at the faint smile
which her little performance evoked. Effie would have been a pretty
little girl had it not been for that vacant, bewildered expression of
which Felicia had spoken. It was the expression of one shut up with
the darkest silence of life, that of her own self, and beauty was
incompatible with it.

Felicia placed her stiff forefinger upon her own lips and nodded, and
the child's face became transfigured. She spoke in a level, awful voice,
utterly devoid of inflection, and full of fright. Her voice was as the
first attempt of a skater upon ice. However, it was intelligible.

"Good morning," said she. "I hope you are well." Then she courtesied
again. That little speech and one other, "Thank you, I am very well,"
were all she had mastered. Effie's instruction had begun rather late,
and her teacher was not remarkably skilful.

When Annie's lips moved in response, Effie's face fairly glowed with
delight and affection. The little girl loved Annie. Then her questioning
eyes sought Felicia, who beckoned, and drew from the pocket of her
rustling silk skirt a tiny pa