he was amusing herself at my
expense. How long I should have gone on I know not, but her exquisite
delight at my simplicity was too great to be kept in, she told her own
secret amidst the laughter of all, her dupe being one of the most
amused. Sybil and Serena took equal liberties, all more from the love of
fun than real delinquency, so that during our reign lessons were at a
premium. Schillie undertook writing and summing, and as she was always
mending pens and cutting pencils, holding one or other between her lips,
she was often not in a condition to reprimand by words, consequently a
tap on the head, a blow on the cheek, a pinch on the arm, generally
expressed her disapprobation. Moreover, she was very impatient if the
sums were done wrong, and exclaiming, "Good lack, what young noodles,"
would do the sums again herself, instead of making the delinquents
correct them. This plan I pronounced with great dignity as highly
improper; she, in dudgeon, said I was a noodle too, and we came to high
words, much to the delight and gratification of our pupils.

But Sybil and Serena delighted in drawing her out while they were all
three reading aloud to her in turns their English History. Then warmed
with her subject, delighting in all the political and historical
details, she would take the book from their hands, and enter into long
discussions, her strong whig principles startling the two bred and born
tory girls into sufficient argument and opposition to give piquancy and
eloquence to her words as they flowed rapidly from her lips. During
these periods, Gatty, who only cared to get done as quick as possible
what she was obliged to do, and thought all these digressions a great
bore, employed her idle fingers in whatever mischief lay within her
reach. If she had no pocket handkerchief to twist into holes, it took
her but a few minutes to dog-ear a whole book; or, probably, the
energetic discussion and the attentive listeners would be interrupted
by a sudden crash, proclaiming the tearing of something, and each would
instinctively look round for their handkerchiefs; or she would collect
little animals, like ants, spiders, or flies, and, having got a handful,
would empty them over one of the three; in fact, she would do anything
to put an end to the discussion, that they might finish their allotted
task and get it over. Then in wrath Schillie would turn round and
exclaim, "You idle young monkey, why don't you go on with your readin