“Sorry? What can you mean? Do you know her?”
“We all know her more or less. I have nothing to say against her personally except that she does not take the best the college affords. I hope you will not—— But forgive me. I am a stranger to you; I ought not to interfere.”
“It would certainly be better for you to say nothing more,” said Marjorie in her gentle voice. “Belle is a friend of ours. Yes,” she continued, “we have come here to learn, and we don’t wish to be narrow-minded; but we are quite determined that we will not waste our time nor our money in dress or ornaments.”
Here she glanced disapprovingly round the exquisitely furnished little room.
“We mean to work hard; we shall have no time for amusement.”
Jane muttered something under her breath; then she said cheerfully:
“I am not the one to lecture you. Come, what shall I show you? It will soon be time to go down to hall to the debate. Now, how can I amuse you?”
“We don’t want amusing,” said Eileen; “that’s just the very point we wish you to clearly understand. If you can tell us anything about the poor in Wingfield, or what philanthropic societies are started, or if there are classes for the teaching of cookery and domestic economy, we shall be greatly obliged to you.”
“But why did you come here?” said Jane, opening her eyes wide. “This is a place for the acquiring of academic learning, not for——”
“It is the place where Belle Acheson is acquiring her profound knowledge of life,” said Marjorie in a slow voice.