"But I thought you learned that Saturday night."
"I was going to, but Louise wanted me to help her clear off the table and wash the dishes, and then—"
"And then she ran away and left you to do the whole, I suppose?" said Aunt Zoe, as Percy paused. "That is her way exactly. Now, Percy, there is one thing I am going to tell you, and you must mind me. You must not indulge Louise by doing her work for her. She will shirk quite enough without any help from you, and you are only doing her an injury."
"She is so slow; and then she thinks I am cross if I don't do what she asks me," replied Percy.
"Let her think so, then! She thinks every one is cross who will not let her be just as idle as she wants to be. But don't you see, Percy, that it is absolutely necessary for her own sake and mine, that Louise should learn to work? I can't afford to keep her, unless she is some help to me; and as she is now, she will never learn to get her own living in the world."
"She thinks it is very hard that she cannot go to school, as I do," remarked Percy. "She says she knows she could do well enough, if she could only have an education."
"Yes, I know. She thinks she would do anything better than her own work; but what do you think she would do in school?"
"Not much, unless she did very differently from what she does now," replied Percy. "I told her so yesterday; and that Miss Van Ness and Miss Reynolds would never have the patience with her that you do."
"And what did she say to that?"
"Oh, she said she should do differently, if she only had work that she liked."