But what had she taught? And how had she taught it? Selina shut her mental eyes as it were, as she went along, and concentrated all her forces at recalling.
Absurd! This picture that came to her of that first day! Auntie had gone, and the class came out and stood in a row before Miss Dellie because she said stand so. And _she_ stood before the chart with the pointer and with a tap of the wood on the page beneath a black mark, said, _"This is A._"
Everybody was polite about it, but even so Miss Dellie tapped again and harder as though they had disputed it, and said again and louder, "_This is A._"
Everybody accepted it again, but Miss Dellie seemed to want proof of this.
"Now say it after me, everybody, '_This is A._'"
"Now say it again without me," from Miss Dellie.
And after they had said it again without her, the little, little girl with the black curls, the little girl whose name proved to be Juliette, looked up into Miss Dellie's face, her own little face and her eyes full of wondering interest.
"What? What's that?" from Miss Dellie Black sharply. "Don't you know I'm talking, little girl? And you must listen!"
Half a dozen volunteers explained what she had said, Maudie with the red plaits, Tommy, Sam and others.
"She's a naughty little girl not to know her place in school," said Miss Dellie? Black firmly, "and if she can't be quiet she can go to her seat and stay there."
Absurd again! So Selina told herself as before. Much good a recall like this could do her this morning! She'd try again.
But this time it wasn't a picture of school that came to her at all. But of herself at home going to Papa full of pride in her achievements _at school_, and carrying with her to his knee, her primer open at a picture.
"What's this?" Papa had said, full of flattering concern. "A big, big ox gazing down on a frog on a lily-pad? What? No? It isn't any ox? Miss Lizzie gave it to you for your lesson to-morrow, and she said so? Though it may be a frog? If it isn't an ox, then what is it, Selina?"
She had told him clear and sure, that funny little fair-haired girl. "'Tain't an ox. Miss Dellie told us what it was when she held up the picture. It's a fable!"
Absurd again! And ridiculous! How was any of all this going to help her, the grown Selina, to teach William?