I will go
and put them away."
"Old uncle Lot!" my aunt repeated. "What uncle Lot? I did not
know you had been enough at Magnolia to get the servants'
names. But I don't remember any uncle Lot."
Preston turned to leave the room with his candy, and in
turning gave me a look of such supreme fun — and mischief that
at another time I could hardly have helped laughing. But Miss
Pinshon was asking me if I understood arithmetic?
"I think — I know very little about it," I said hesitating. "I
can do a sum."
"In what?"
"On the slate, ma'am."
"Yes, but in what?"
"I don't know, ma'am — it is adding up the columns."
"Oh, in _addition_, then. Do you know the multiplication and
division tables?"
"No, ma'am."
"Go and get off your things, and then come back to me; and I
will have some more talk with you."
I remember to this day how heavily my feet went up the stairs.
I was not very strong yet in body, and now the strength seemed
to have gone out of my heart.
"I declare," said Preston, who waited for me on the landing,
"she falls into position easy! Does she think she is going to
take _that_ tone with you?"
I made no answer.
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