"I dare say Lavinia don't do so."
"Not she. I don't believe she has had a piece of rubber or a knife of her own since she first came into the drawing-class. She just lives on the other girls; and now, Miss Van Ness has forbidden the girls to lend her anything at all. But please, Mary, do take up the coffee; I am sure it is boiled enough."
The coffee was very nice, and so was everything else; and her father had a very interesting story to tell her about Mr. Nye's Burmese cats, which had been brought home by his sailor son; but Florry could think of nothing, and care for nothing, but that unlucky red plant down behind the bushes in the front yard. Mr. Hausen's beautiful apricots seemed to choke her, and she could hardly eat one of them.
"Oh, what a fool, what a wicked fool I have been!" she said to herself. "How could I do such a thing?"
Mrs. Lester noticed how pale and silent Florry was:
"I am afraid you have hurt yourself worse than you thought," said she. "Does your breast pain you?"
"A little, mother; and my head aches."
"You had better go to bed early, and have a good long rest," said her father. "Are you sure you don't have too much to do in school, daughter? I am afraid those drawing-lessons are the feather which is going to break the camel's back."
"Oh, no, father; they don't hurt me at all, I am sure," replied Florry. "I walked pretty fast home from Mrs. Hausen's; and then getting hurt and all—"
"Well, never mind," said her mother, seeing that the tears were very near Florry's eyes. "I dare say it will be all right in the morning, after you have had a good long sleep. Don't you want a cup of coffee, for once?"