"Yes," said Marjorie.
"A common sailor!"
"No, an uncommon one."
"Is he before the mast?" she persisted.
"Does he look so?" asked Marjorie, seriously.
"No, he looks like a captain; only that cap is not dignified enough."
"It's becoming," said Miss Parks, "and that's better than dignity."
The bell rang and the girls passed into the schoolroom in twos and threes. A table ran almost the length of the long, high apartment; it was covered with green baize and served as a desk for the second class girls; the first class girls occupied chairs around three sides of the room, during recitation the chairs were turned to face the teacher, at other times the girls sat before a leaf that served as a rest for their books while they studied, shelves being arranged above to hold the books. The walls of the room were tinted a pale gray. Mottoes in black and gold were painted in one straight line above the book shelves, around the three sides of the room. Marjorie's favorites were: