Page:Leah Reed--Brenda's summer at Rockley.djvu/40

26 was barely enough to keep the subjects fresh in her mind. Until the end of June she must adhere to regular hours of daily study. After the examination, her real vacation would begin.

Thus Julia sat down very contentedly, re-reading carefully, and as quickly as she could, the story of unhappy Dido, the work that she had accomplished, and her melancholy fate. The two hours passed quickly away, and after she had practised for an hour, she heard with surprise the  voices of the returning yachting-party.

“Still at it?” called Brenda, as the carriage drove up. “You must be wonderfully wise.”

“Oh, I’m not studying now,” responded her cousin. “That was over long ago.”

“Well, you would have been perfectly safe if you had gone with us to-day. There was n’t a ripple on the water. It was just the kind of mill-pond you would like. Papa and cousin Edward have stayed down there to see if they  can whistle up a breeze. But the rest of us thought that we had better come home. I saw Philip at the Club-house, and he said that Edith intended to drive over this afternoon, and I want to see her to talk over some plans.”

“I did n’t really think that you would return for luncheon, although Aunt Anna said that you might, but I believe that it is ready.”

The dining-room was delightfully cool in contrast with the warmer outside piazzas, and as they all sat around the  long table, Mrs. Barlow gave a sigh of relief.

“After all, there’s no place like home.”