Her favourite seat was by the great
mullioned window, which shed light on everything in the rooms, and her
favourite teaching was to make every old picture or helmet or weapon on
the walls tell its story to the children. So on the day after
Salamanca Day she was sitting as usual in her corner by the window, on
a very stiff high-backed chair; for people did not lounge in those
days, and children were taught at meals to keep their thumbs on the
table to make them sit upright. Little Elsie sat by her on a smaller
but equally stiff chair, stitching diligently at her sampler, and Dick
stood before her glancing furtively over his shoulder. The blue sky
outside was so great a distraction to him that Lady Eleanor had turned
his back to the window, and set before him an old steel morion of the
time of Queen Elizabeth; and with this to inspire him, Dick was
struggling with the ballad of the Brave Lord Willoughby.
"Come, Dick," Lady Eleanor was saying, "we can do better than that.
Try again. 'For seven hours to all men's view--'"
But just at this moment the Corporal came in.
"If you please, my Lady, Betsy Fry's just come up. She's in a terrible
taking about her boy, and she's brought him up to see you."
"Very well. I'll come out and see her directly," said Lady Eleanor.
"Come, Dick,"--but Dick had turned half round and was smiling at the
Corporal.
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