How this demonstration would have pleased Elizabeth yesterday, or even this morning! Now she felt like a hypocrite.
"And she is very anxious that I should allow you to take drawing-lessons." Here Miss Herrick paused and sighed heavily. "And you wish to yourself, do you not, Elizabeth?"
It had been the dearest wish of Elizabeth's heart since she began school, but now she felt as if she would be doing wrong if she were to take advantage of her aunt's kindness.
"I—I don't know," she faltered.
"If that is not human nature," exclaimed Miss Rebecca, who had not spoken before. "When you were not allowed to draw, nothing could keep a pencil out of your hand, and now that you are given permission you don't wish to do it."
"Oh, I do want to, Aunt Rebecca!" cried Elizabeth, recovering herself; "I want to, dreadfully. Are you really going to let me, Aunt Caroline?"
"I suppose so. Mrs. Arnold put it before me in such a light that I could not very well refuse. She says she has an excellent teacher, and if you have so much talent, Elizabeth, it seems wrong not to give my consent. But it is very hard for me to say yes! You must be a very good girl if I do."
Elizabeth hid her face in her aunt's shoulder. If she had heard this earlier she would not have yielded to Valentine's entreaties. It was too late now. She had allowed him to stay in the locked room, she had almost promised not to tell. There was a weight like lead on her heart.
"Stand up straight, Elizabeth," said Miss Herrick, her momentary tenderness passing. "Naturally you cannot understand my repugnance to the idea of your perfecting yourself in drawing and painting, and it is not to be expected that you should. It is connected with events which happened before you were born." Again she paused.
At any other time Elizabeth's curiosity would have been aroused, and her indignation also, at the fact that there were more mysteries, but now she paid no heed. If only she were not deceiving her aunt!