Ruth started away.
"What is it, Ruth? How queer you look! What is the matter?"
"I must get home. I promised granny."
"But listen before you decide. You know Miss Renshaw, don't you?"
"Miss Maria Renshaw, the coach. Yes, I do."
"Don't you remember my pointing her out to you?"
"Of course I remember it, Cassandra; and she looked--oh, lovely!"
"She is far more lovely than she looks--that is, if you mean she is
clever and taking and all the rest. She is just perfectly splendid. She
makes you see a thing at the first glance. She has a way of putting
information into you so that you cannot help knowing. Oh, she is
delightful! And mother says that I may have her to coach me for the big
scholarship--the sixty-pounds-a-year scholarship. You know there are two
of them. There is one quite in your line, and there is one in mine; and
there is no earthly reason why you should not get one and I the other."
"Well?" said Ruth.
Her beautiful, fair, delicately chiselled face had turned pale. She
stood very upright, and looked full at Cassandra.
"It could be easily done, dear little Ruth. Miss Renshaw would just as
soon coach two girls as one, and mother has arranged it. Yes, she has
arranged it absolutely. Miss Renshaw will coach you and me together. You
are to come home with me every evening. She will give us both an hour.
Isn't it too splendid?"
Ruth did not speak.
"Aren't you pleased, Ruth? Don't you think it is very nice of me to
think of my friends? You are my friend, you know.
Pages:
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153