here.

"The best cure for weather of this sort," she said to herself, "is to
give the young people plenty to do indoors."

Accordingly she reorganized lessons in a very brisk and up-to-date
fashion. She arranged that a good music-master was to come twice a week
from Southampton. Mistresses for languages were also to arrive from the
same place. A pretty little pony-cart which she bought for the purpose
conveyed these good people to and from Lyndhurst Road station. Besides
this, she asked one or two visitors to come and stay in the house, and
tried to plan as comfortable and nice a winter as she could. Verena
helped her, and the younger girls were pleased and interested; and Pen
did what she was told, dashing about here and there, and making
suggestions, and trying to make herself as useful as she could.

"The child is improved," said Miss Tredgold to Verena. "She is quite
obliging and unselfish."

Verena said nothing.

"What do you think of my new plans, Verena?" said her aunt. "Out-of-door
life until the frost comes is more or less at a standstill. Beyond the
mere walking for health, we do not care to go out of doors in this wet
and sloppy weather. But the house is large. I mean always to have one or
two friends here, sometimes girls to please you other girls, sometimes
older people to interest me. I should much like to have one or two
_savants_ down to talk over their special studies with your father; but
that can doubtless be arranged by-and-by. I want us to have cheerful
winter evenings--evenings for reading, evenings for music. I want you
children to learn at least the rudiments of good acting, and I mean to
have two or three plays enacted here during the winter. In short, if you
will all help me, we can have a splendid time."

"Oh, I will help you," said Verena. "But," she added, "I have no talent
for acting; it is Paulie who can act so well."

"I wish your sister would take an interest in things, Verena. She is
quite well in body, but she is certainly not what she was before her
accident."

"I don't understand Pauline," said Verena, shaking her head.

"Nor do I understand her. Once or twice I thought I would get a good
doctor to see her, but I have now nearly resolved to leave it to time to
restore her."

"But the other girls--can you understand the other girls, Aunt Sophy?"
asked Verena.

"Understand them, my dear? What do you mean?"

"Oh, I don't mean the younger ones--Adelaide and Lucy and the ot