“And please put on that black and white lawn, even if it is a little crumpled, and my white batiste always shakes out. It is nice if it isn’t very fine.”
The bell sounded and they went down. The table was laid in the pretty little tea room. Lilian ate and drank with a sensation of delight. The china was so delicate, the table so beautifully arranged, the serving so perfect. Often in reading a story Lilian had fancied herself the heroine and enjoyed the feast.
The child has much finer breeding than the mother, Mrs. Barrington mused. She almost fancied she detected something furtive about Mrs. Boyd. Was she being won by the girl’s proud face to the detriment of the mother? It seemed to her that Mrs. Boyd stood in awe of her daughter.
Afterward they went to the parlor which was a fine large room splendidly furnished, Lilian thought. There was a grand piano, an organ, two beautiful marbles, vases and pictures. There was a wide hall that was like another room. Here on the west side was the school and recitation rooms, the girl’s dining room and a commodious kitchen.
“Will you go up stairs?” asked Mrs. Barrington.
Lilian answered eagerly, Mrs. Boyd followed.
Over this side were the dormitories and baths. Some rooms accommodated two beds, others only one. They were neat and pleasant and had been lately put in order.
“I do not care for more than twenty boarding pupils,” explained Mrs. Barrington. “That makes a nice family with sufficient variety of character. I am much interested in the development of girls, and the town has nothing detrimental in it. We have a fine music hall where there are concerts and lectures, occasionally a play, and a nice library. The walks and drives about are beautiful.”
The hall was not so wide up here. There were two entrances to the family side, the one to Mrs. Barrington’s rooms which was divided by a short hall from those of the assistants. Two of the teachers lived at the school, though one of them had a room where she could be in touch with the girls.
When they reached her room Mrs. Boyd said—