"I see that tatting is very much in fashion again," remarked Mrs. Campbell; "I think I must try to learn it. What do you say, Miss Lizzy? Will you teach me?"
"I will try," answered Lizzy; "but I can tell you beforehand it is one of the hardest things to teach or to learn in the world."
"Well, I will make a bargain with you. If you will make me learn tatting, I will teach you to make needle lace—an art which an Armenian lady made a great favour of imparting to me."
Lizzy consented, and the lesson went on amid much laughter from teacher and pupil. Marion looked on languidly. How could her aunt be so interested in such a trifle? How could Lizzy be so entirely at her ease with two strangers like Doctor and Mrs. Campbell?
"There is one thing, Lizzy, at which I am surprised," remarked Mrs. Campbell, presently—"one thing in which I may say I am a good deal disappointed. I have seen quite a number of the Crocker school girls, and not one of them has asked me a question about little Rachel or the school. I thought you took a great interest in the child. She does in you, I assure you."
"I am sure we do in her, Mrs. Campbell," answered Lizzy, very much surprised and a little offended. "We are all longing for Saturday to come that we may hear about her. But Marion said that you wanted nothing should be said about the matter till then, so of course I asked no questions."
Mrs. Campbell turned to Marion with a look of surprise.
"I did not say that, Lizzy," said Marion, feeling very much confused, for she had forgotten the whole matter. "What I did say was that I thought Aunt Christian would rather tell you the story herself. I thought it would spoil all the interest of the lecture if it was talked over beforehand. That was all."
"You certainly said—However, it doesn't matter; I dare say that was what you meant," said Lizzy. She saw that Marion was placed in an uncomfortable predicament, and had no desire to make it any worse for her. Lizzy was learning that charity which "rejoiceth not in iniquity."
"I don't see how you could think so, Marion," said Mrs. Campbell, rather indignantly.