’I am sure it was Phyl that was the most dismayed, and cried the loudest,’ said Lily.

‘That she always does,’ said Jane.  ’On Friday we had an uproar in the schoolroom about her hemming, and on Saturday she tumbled into a wet ditch, and tore her bonnet in the brambles; on Sunday, she twisted her ancles together at church.’

‘Well, there I did chance to observe her,’ said Lily, ’there seemed to be a constant struggle between her ancles and herself, they were continually coming lovingly together, but were separated the next moment.’

‘And to-day this sum,’ said Jane; ’seven scrapes in one week!  I really am of opinion, as Rachel says when she is angry, that school is the best place for her.’

‘I think so too,’ said Claude.

‘I do not know,’ said Emily, ‘she is very troublesome, but—­’

‘Oh, Claude!’ cried Lily, ’you do not mean that you would have that poor dear merry Master Phyl sent to school, she would pine away like a wild bird in a cage; but papa will never think of such a thing.’

‘If I thought of her being sent to school,’ said Claude, ’it would be to shield her from—­the rule of love.’

‘Oh! you think we are too indulgent,’ said Emily; ’perhaps we are, but you know we cannot torment a poor child all day long.’

’If you call the way you treat her indulgent, I should like to know what you call severe.’

‘What do you mean, Claude?’ said Emily.

’I call your indulgence something like the tender mercies of the wicked,’ said Claude.  ’On a fine day, when every one is taking their pleasure in the garden, to shut an unhappy child up in the schoolroom, with a hard sum that you have not taken the trouble to teach her how to do, and late in the day, when no one’s head is clear for difficult arithmetic—­’

‘Hard sum do you call it?’ said Jane.

‘Indeed I explained it to her,’ said Emily.

‘And well she understood you,’ said Claude.

‘She might have learnt if she had attended,’ said Emily; ’Ada understood clearly, with the same explanation.’

’And do not you be too proud of the effect of your instructions, Claude,’ said Jane, ’for when honest Phyl came into the garden, she did not know farthings from fractions.’

‘And pray, Mrs. Senior Wrangler,’ said Claude, ’will you tell me where is the difference between a half-penny and half a penny?’

After a good laugh at Jane’s expense, Emily went on, ’Now, Claude, I will tell you how it happened; Phyllis is so slow, and dawdles over her lessons so long, that it is quite a labour to hear her; Ada is quick enough, but if you were to hear Phyllis say one column of spelling, you would know what misery is.  Then before she has half finished, the clock strikes one, it is time to read, and the lessons are put off till the afternoon.  I certainly did not know that she was about her sum all that time, or I would have sent her out as I did on Saturday.’