Part way to the hill was a river. Its little waves shimmered and danced. Its shores were quite green already.
Now Clematis was wide awake and happy. She started to dress.
Clematis started to grumble again, but when she looked into the mirror above the wash stand, there was the river, smiling at her in the mirror.
She knew this river. She had been there. Perhaps she would go again some day.
For breakfast they had a bowl of oatmeal and milk, with two slices of bread.
Clematis looked around while they were eating.
"Don't you ever get a cup of coffee for breakfast?" she asked of Sally, who sat next to her.
"Oh, no, never, but sometimes we have cocoa, on real cold mornings."
Clematis turned up her nose a little. She did not care much for oatmeal.
"I like doughnuts and coffee a great deal better," she said.
"Huh, you won't have any doughnuts and coffee round here," said Jane. "You'd better eat what you have."
Clematis took her advice, and had just finished her bread, when the bell sounded.
"Now, Clematis," said Miss Rose, "you are going to stay here for a while anyway, so you must take your part in the daily work."
"I think you said yesterday you would like to help Katie in the kitchen."
"Oh, yes'm," said Clematis. She had been thinking of Deborah and longing to see her.
"Well, let's go down and see what Katie can find for you to do."
There was Deborah, sleeping under the edge of the stove. Clematis took her while Miss Rose was asking Katie.
"This little girl thinks she would like to have some work down here in the kitchen, Katie. Is there anything you would like her to do?"
"Ah, no thank you, Miss Rose, she wouldn't be any use at all."
Clematis looked up. She did not feel very happy.
"Why, don't you think she could help you?" Miss Rose looked surprised.
"No miss, she is no use at all. Yesterday I asked her to peel some potatoes, but she never lifted a finger. She said she didn't know how."
"Well," said Clematis, "if you never learned to peel potatoes, would you know how to do it?"
"Yes, I think I should. Katie would have shown you, if you had been willing to try."
Clematis hung her head, and buried her face in Deborah's soft fur.
"You see, miss, she's of no use to me. She don't want to work at all. Her cat, now, is a worker. She caught a big rat in the night."