At last they reached the house， and were greeted by Mrs.Peterkin and Elizabeth Eliza， Mrs.Peterkin with her llama lace shawl over her shoulders， as a tribute to the Spanish teacher.Mr.Peterkin was careful to take his party in first， and deposit them in a distant part of the library， far from the Turk or the German， even putting the Frenchman and Russian apart.
Solomon John found the Italian dictionary， and seated himself by his Italian； Agamemnon， with the German dictionary， by the German.The little boys took their copy of the "Arabian Nights" to the Turk.Mr.Peterkin attempted to explain to the Russian that he had no Russian dictionary， as he had hoped to learn Sanscrit of him， while Mrs.Peterkin was trying to inform her teacher that she had no books in Spanish.She got over all fears of the Inquisition， he looked so sad， and she tried to talk a little， using English words， but very slowly， and altering the accent as far as she knew how.The Spaniard bowed， looked gravely interested， and was very polite.
Elizabeth Eliza， meanwhile， was trying her grammar phrases with the Parisian.
She found it easier to talk French than to understand him.But he understood perfectly her sentences.She repeated one of her vocabularies， and went on with-"J'ai le livre." "As-tu le pain？ ""L'enfant a une poire." He listened with great attention， and replied slowly.Suddenly she started after making out one of his sentences， and went to her mother to whisper， "They have made the mistake you feared.They think they are invited to lunch！ He has just been thanking me for our politeness in inviting them to déje？ner，-that means breakfast！""They have not had their breakfast！" exclaimed Mrs.Peterkin， looking at her Spaniard； "he does look hungry！ What shall we do？"Elizabeth Eliza was consulting her father.What should they do？
How should they make them understand that they invited them to teach， not lunch.Elizabeth Eliza begged Agamemnon to look out "apprendre " in the dictionary.It must mean to teach.Alas， they found it means both to teach and to learn！ What should they do？
The foreigners were now sitting silent in their different corners.
The Spaniard grew more and more sallow.What if he should faint？ The Frenchman was rolling up each of his mustaches to a point as he gazed at the German.What if the Russian should fight the Turk？ What if the German should be exasperated by the airs of the Parisian？
"We must give them something to eat，" said Mr.Peterkin， in a low tone."It would calm them.""If I only knew what they were used to eating，" said Mrs.Peterkin.
Solomon John suggested that none of them knew what the others were used to eating， and they might bring in anything.
Mrs.Peterkin hastened out with hospitable intents.Amanda could make good coffee.Mr.Peterkin had suggested some American dish.Solomon John sent a little boy for some olives.
It was not long before the coffee came in， and a dish of baked beans.Next， some olives and a loaf of bread， and some boiled eggs， and some bottles of beer.The effect was astonishing.Every man spoke his own tongue， and fluently.Mrs.
Peterkin poured out coffee for the Spaniard， while he bowed to her.They all liked beer， they all liked olives.The Frenchman was fluent about "les moeurs Américaines." Elizabeth Eliza supposed he alluded to their not having set any table.The Turk smiled， the Russian was voluble.In the midst of the clang of the different languages， just as Mr.Peterkin was again repeating， under cover of the noise of many tongues， "How shall we make them understand that we want them to teach？"-at this very moment the door was flung open， and there came in the lady from Philadelphia， that day arrived， her first call of the season！
She started back in terror at the tumult of so many different languages！ The family， with joy， rushed to meet her.All together they called upon her to explain for them.Could she help them？
Could she tell the foreigners they wanted to take lessons？
Lessons？ They had no sooner uttered the word than their guests all started up with faces beaming with joy.It was the one English word they all knew！ They had come to Boston to give lessons！
The Russian traveller had hoped to learn English in this way.The thought pleased them more than the déje？ner.
Yes， gladly would they give lessons.The Turk smiled at the idea.
The first step was taken.The teachers knew they were expected to teach
