THE DOLL AND HER FRIENDS. 37

ventures. My education appeared to be conducted
precisely on the same plan as her own. Before long,
she brought a little pianoforte and set it up in my
drawing-room. I thought it rather hid the pretty
paper, but it was a handsome piece of furniture.

“ Now, Lady Seraphina,” said Rose, “ I am
obliged to practise for an hour every day, and you
must do the same. See what a pretty piano I have
given you. You need not mind its being meant for
a housewife and pincushion ; the notes are marked,
and that is all you want. Now practise your scales,
and be very careful to play right notes and count
your time.”

I sat at my piano with all due diligence, but I
am sorry to say that my progress did not seem
satisfactory. One day Rose said that she was sure
I had forgotten to count; and another day, that
I hurried the easy bars and slackened the difficult
ones; then she accused me of not caring whether
I played right notes or wrong, and torturing her
ear by my false chords; then 1 banged the notes
till I broke the string’s: in short, there was no end to
her complaints, till at last she wound them all up by
declaring that both she and I hated music, and that
if Mama and Margaret would take her advice, we
should both leave it off. |

But still I practised regularly, and so, I sup-