d even taking out a little bit of a pin I wore, and putting
it in again to suit herself. It annoyed me excessively. I knew all was
right about my ruffle and pin; I never left them carelessly arranged; no
fingers but mamma's had ever dared to meddle with them before. But Miss
Pinshon arranged the ruffle and the pin, and still holding me, looked in
my face with those eyes of hers. I began to feel that they were "heavy."
They did not waver. They did not seem to wink, like other eyes. They bore
down upon my face with a steady power, that was not bright but ponderous.
Her first question was, whether I was a good girl.

I could not tell how to answer. My aunt answered for me, that she
believed Daisy meant to be a good girl, though she liked to have her
own way.

Miss Pinshon ordered me to bring up a chair and sit down; and then
asked if I knew anything about mathematics; told me it was the science
of quantity; remarked to my aunt that it was the very best study for
teaching children to think, and that she always gave them a great deal
of it in the first year of their pupilage. "It puts the mind in
order," the black-eyed lady went on; "and other things come so easily
after it. Daisy, do you know what I mean by 'quantity?'"

I knew what _I_ meant by quantity; but whether the English language
had anything in common for Miss Pinshon and me, I had great doubts. I
hesitated.

"I always teach my little girls to answer promptly when they are asked
anything. I notice that you do not answer promptly. You can always
tell whether you know a thing or whether you do not."

I was not so sure of that. Miss Pinshon desired me now to repeat the
multiplication table. Here at least there was certainty. I had never
learned it.

"It appears to me," said my governess, "you have done very little with
the first ten years of your life. It gives you a great deal to do for
the next ten."

"Health has prevented her applying to her studies," said my aunt.

"The want of health. Yes, I suppose so. I hope Daisy will be very well
now, for we must make up for lost time."

"I do not suppose so much time need have been lost," said my aunt;
"but parents are easily alarmed, you know; they think of nothing but
one thing."

So now there was nobody about me who would be easily alarmed. I took
the full force of that.

"Of course," said Miss Pinshon, "I shall have a careful regard to her
health. Nothing can be done without that. I shall take her out
regu