But not so Marion. "I could not do it," or "I did not understand it, Miss Oliver," satisfied her. In her character of "the heiress of the McGregors" Marion was endowed with every accomplishment, from playing the harp down to embroidering tapestry, while the real Marion seemed likely to be left without even the decent beginnings of an education.
"Well, I can't help it," said Marion, pettishly, to herself, at last; "Miss Oliver might make the lessons more interesting." And then came the reflection, "The lessons are interesting to the others; why not to you? Lizzy Gates is quite as bright; Kitty Tremaine has seen ten times more of the world. Her mother is a very accomplished woman, and able to take Kitty to New York, or even to Paris, for her education, and yet she keeps her with Miss Oliver." Marion was obliged to abandon that line of defence, and she could not at once find any other to which she might betake herself.
"Well, I will turn over a new leaf—I really will," said Marion. "It would be perfectly dreadful to be turned out of school. If I could only go somewhere else, I know I should do better. I have been to Miss Oliver so long. But I don't see how that is ever to come about. Grandfather says he can't afford to let me have French lessons this term, and I don't believe Miss Oliver would allow it, either. She would be sure to bring up all my bad Latin lessons and those horrible irregular verbs and prepositions governing the accusative. Oh dear! How unhappy I am! And there are all Aunt Baby's errands that I must do this noon instead of reading my book. However, that is just as well, for I should not dare to let Miss Oliver see me reading a story-book. Oh what a plague it is! I never can have half a chance."
Marion was so far impressed with Miss Oliver's words that she did every one of her errands and got through her afternoon's lessons without a single failure. She was walking homeward, reading as she went, when she came upon Mrs. Campbell.
"Why, Aunt Christian, is this you? How did you come here?" asked Marion.
"Really, Marie, I am half affronted," answered Mrs. Campbell, smiling; "didn't I tell you I was coming down to meet you as you came home?"
"Yes, to be sure; it was very nice in you," said Marion, trying to appear glad, when in truth she would rather have been alone. Marion thought it was one out of many signs of her superiority that she "loved solitude." "Have you been anywhere in the village?"
"Yes; I called on Michael Beaubien and saw several of my old acquaintances in the French settlement. I see a great change there, Marion."
"Yes, every one says so."
"But the old man did not seem so cheerful as he used to be," continued Mrs. Campbell. "I fancy he has something on his mind."