Elsie was alone in her own apartments one afternoon, an hour or more after dismissing her pupils to their play, when Zoe came to her with flushed cheeks, quivering lips, and eyes full of tears.
"What is wrong with you, my dear little daughter?" Elsie asked in tender, motherly tones, as she looked up into the troubled face.
"O mamma, I don"t know what to do! I wish you could help me!" cried Zoe, dropping upon her knees at Elsie"s feet, and hiding her face on her lap, the tears falling fast now, mingled with sobs.
"Only tell me what is wrong, dear, and you shall have all the help I can give," Elsie said, smoothing the weeper"s fair hair with soft, caressing hand.
"Edward is vexed with me," sobbed Zoe. "I know he is, though he didn"t say a word; but he looked so grave, and walked away without speaking."
"Perhaps he was not vexed with you, dear; it may have been merely that he was deep in thought about something that had no connection with the little wife, whom, as I very well know, he loves very dearly."
"No, mamma, it wasn"t that; he had come in to hear me recite, and I was so interested in my fancy work that I"d forgotten to watch the time and hadn"t looked at the lessons. So I told him, and said I was sorry I wasn"t ready for him, and he didn"t answer a word, but just looked at me as grave as a judge, and turned round and walked out of the room."
"Surely, my dear Zoe, Edward does not insist upon his little wife learning lessons whether she is willing or not?" Elsie said inquiringly, and with a gentle caress.
"Oh, no, no, mamma! it has been my own choice, and I"ve no wish to give it up; but somehow there is always something interfering with my studying.
Somebody calls, or I"m inclined for a ride, a drive or a walk, or I get engaged in sewing or fancy work, or my music, or a story-book that"s too interesting to lay down till I reach the end. Mamma, I often wonder how it is that you find time for all these things and many others beside."
"Shall I tell you the secret of managing it, dear?" Elsie asked, with an affectionate look and smile into the tear-stained face now uplifted to hers.
Zoe gave an eager a.s.sent, and Elsie went on:
"It lies in doing things systematically, always putting duties first, giving to each its set time, and letting the pleasures come in afterward.
If I were you, my dear, I should have a regular study hour, putting it early in the day, before callers begin to come, and I should not allow it to be lightly interfered with; no st.i.tch should be taken in fancy work, no novel opened, no story paper glanced at, until each lesson for the day was fully prepared."
Zoe"s face had brightened very much as she listened.
"O mamma, I see that that is just the way to do it!" she cried, clapping her hands with glee, "and I"ll begin at once. I"ll think over all the daily duties and make out a regular programme, and----"
"Strive earnestly to carry it out, you would say, yet not in your own strength alone," Elsie added, as Zoe paused, leaving her sentence unfinished.
"Yes, mamma," she responded in a more serious tone. "And now, I"ll run back to my room and try to be ready for Edward when he comes in again."
She set herself to her tasks with unwonted determination to give her whole mind to them. Edward came in at length, and was greeted with a bright look and the announcement in a tone of great satisfaction, "I"m quite ready for you now."
"I"ve been thinking we might perhaps as well give it up, Zoe," he answered gravely, "at least for the present, until you are done working upon those very fascinating Christmas things."
"Oh no, don"t!" she said, flushing and looking ready to cry, "try me a little longer, Ned; I"ve been talking with mamma, and I"m really going to turn over a new leaf and do just as she advises."
"Ah, if you have taken mamma into your counsels there is some hope," he said in a tone of hearty approval. "But we will have to put off the recitations until after tea. I must drive over to the Oaks to see Uncle Horace about a business matter, and I just came up to ask you to go along."
"Oh, I"ll be happy to!" she cried joyously, pushing the books aside and starting to her feet, "and it won"t take me a minute to don hat and cloak."
He caught her in his arms as she was rushing past him, and kissing her on cheek and lips, asked in tender tones, "Have I made you unhappy this afternoon, my love, my darling?"
"Yes, for a little while; but I deserved it, Ned, and I don"t mind it now if--if only you love your foolish, careless little wife as well as ever in spite of all her faults."
"I love you dearly, dearly, my one own peculiar treasure," he responded, with another caress of ardent affection, as he let her go.
She was gay and happy as a bird during their drive, and full of enthusiasm in regard to her new plan, explaining it to Edward, and asking his advice about the best division of her time, how much should be allotted to this duty and how much to that.
"I mean to rise earlier," she said, "and if I can"t get time in that way for all I want to do, I"ll shorten my rides and walks."
"No," he said, "I"m not going to have your health sacrificed even to mental improvement; and certainly not to fancy work; I shall insist on plenty of rest and sleep and abundance of exercise in the open air for the dear little woman I have taken charge of."
"Then, sir, you"re not to be cross if the studies are not attended to."
"They will be if put before novels, fancy work, and other equally unnecessary employments."
"Well, I"ve said they shall be in future. O Ned," and she nestled closer to his side, looking up lovingly into his face, "it"s ever so nice to have somebody to take care of me and love me as you do! How could I ever do without papa, who always petted me so, if I hadn"t you?"
"I hope you may never find out. I hope I may be spared to take care of you, as long as you need me, little wife," he said, pressing her closer to his side.
Rosie met them in the hall on their return to Ion.
"It"s most tea time, Zoe," she said; "I think you"ll not have any too much time for changing your dress."
"Then I must needs make haste," returned Zoe, tripping up the stairs.
Edward, who was taking off his overcoat, turned a rather surprised, inquiring glance upon his little sister.
"Oh, yes," she said laughingly, "I had a reason for hurrying her away, because I want to tell you something. Cousin Ronald Lilburn is coming.
Maybe he will be here by to-morrow. Mamma heard he wasn"t well, and she wrote and invited him to come and spend the winter with us, and she"s just had a letter saying he will come. Aren"t you glad, Ned?"
"I"m very well pleased, Rosie, but why shouldn"t Zoe have heard your announcement?"
"Because I wanted to warn you first not to tell her or the Raymonds something (you know what) that must be kept secret at first, if we want to have some fun."
"Oh, yes!" he said, with a good-humored laugh. "Well, I think you may trust me not to tell. But how about all the others? Walter, especially?"
"Oh, he doesn"t remember anything about it; and grandpa and mamma and all the rest have promised not to tell."
"And you are quite sure Rosie may be trusted not to let the secret slip out unintentionally?" he asked, pinching her round rosy cheek.
"I hope so," she said, laughing and running away.
Opening the library door and seeing Lulu there curled up in the corner of a sofa with a book, she stepped in, shutting the door behind her.
Lulu looked up.
"Shall I disturb you if I talk?" asked Rose.
"I"m ready to listen," answered Lulu, half closing her book. "What have you to say?"
"Oh, that Cousin Ronald Lilburn is coming, and I"m ever so glad, as you would be, too, if you knew him."
"I never heard of him," said Lulu. "Is he a boy? is he older than Max?"