'You say. She'll teach me to read, won't she?'
True tried hard to put on a grown-up air. She did not like Mrs. Marsh's amused smile at all.
'Margot says we ought to have a governess to teach us in the morning, and we shan't do any lessons in the afternoon; and she mustn't stay to dinner, because Margot says she doesn't know how to cook for us; we seem to eat more than we ought to. And she mustn't have a cross face, and mustn't wear spectacles.'
'And she must be 'normously fond of Nobbles,' said Bobby, thrusting Nobbles' ugly little face up close to Mrs. Marsh's.
'And we're to learn French and sums—and—dancing,' said True, suddenly struck with a bright thought.
'Yes,' exclaimed Bobby, with a beaming smile, 'dancing, o' course, mostly dancing, me and Nobbles finks!'
The young lady in a blue serge broke into a rippling laugh.
'Oh, Mrs. Marsh, I wish I could teach them myself. Aren't they delicious!'
'Well, why shouldn't you?' said Mrs. Marsh, looking at the speaker with good-natured interest.
'But you were the one to advise me to stick to my studies,' said the girl. 'You said I could never command any salary worth having till I was thoroughly certificated.'