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第3章 双马尾姑娘

　　'I am afraid I never shall do that.'

　　'I daresay you are clever, though,' continued Bessie, by way ofsolace. 'What can you do? Can you play on the piano?'

　　'A little.'

　　THE next day commenced as before, getting up and dressing byrushlight; but this morning we were obliged to dispense with theceremony of washing; the water in the pitchers was frozen. A changehad taken place in the weather the preceding evening, and a keennorth-east wind, whistling through the crevices of our bedroom windowsall night long, had made us shiver in our beds, and turned thecontents of the ewers to ice.

　　After dinner, we immediately adjourned to the schoolroom: lessonsrecommenced, and were continued till five o'clock.

　　'No, Miss Jane, not exactly: you are genteel enough; you looklike a lady, and it is as much as ever I expected of you: you wereno beauty as a child.'

　　I thought so too; and my self-esteem being wounded by the falsecharge, I answered promptly, 'I never cried for such a thing in mylife: I hate going out in the carriage. I cry because I am miserable.'

　　'Helen!' I whispered softly, 'are you awake?'

　　'I should think it may have: I should hope- better.'