.If
he
had
said
to
her
that
the
present
state
of
things
was
to
go
on
forever
;
she
to
remain
always
Hilary
Leaf
,
and
he
Robert
Lyon
,
the
faithful
friend
of
the
family
,
she
would
have
smiled
in
his
face
and
been
perfectly
satisfied
.
True
,
she
had
never
had
any
thing
to
drive
away
the
smile
from
that
innocent
face
;
no
vague
jealousies
aroused
;
no
maddening
rumors
afloat
in
the
small
world
that
was
his
and
theirs
.
Mr.
Lyon
was
grave
and
sedate
in
all
his
ways
;
he
never
paid
the
slightest
attention
to
,
or
expressed
the
slightest
interest
in
,
any
woman
whatsoever
.
And
so
this
hapless
girl
loved
,
him
—
just
himself
;
without
the
slightest
reference
to
his
"
connections
,
"
for
he
had
none
;
or
his
"
prospects
,
"
which
,
if
he
had
any
,
she
did
not
know
of
.
Alas
!
to
practical
and
prudent
people
I
can
offer
no
excuse
for
her
;
except
,
perhaps
what
Shakspeare
gives
in
the
creation
of
the
poor
Miranda
.
When
the
small
servant
re-entered
the
kitchen
,
Hilary
,
with
a
half
sigh
,
shook
off
her
dreams
,
called
Ascott
out
of
the
school-room
,
and
returned
to
the
work-a-day
world
and
the
family
supper
.
This
being
ended
,
seasoned
with
a
few
quiet
words
administered
to
Ascott
,
and
which
on
the
whole
he
took
pretty
well
,
it
was
nearly
ten
o'clock
.
"
Far
too
late
to
have
kept
up
such
a
child
as
Elizabeth
;
we
must
not
do
it
again
,
"
said
Miss
Leaf
,
taking
down
the
large
Bible
with
which
she
was
accustomed
to
conclude
the
day
—
Ascott
's
early
hours
at
school
and
their
own
house-work
making
it
difficult
of
mornings
.
Very
brief
the
reading
was
,
sometimes
not
more
than
half
a
dozen
verses
,
with
no
comment
thereon
;
she
thought
the
Word
of
God
might
safely
be
left
to
expound
itself
Being
a
very
humble-minded
woman
,
she
did
not
feel
qualified
to
lead
long
devotional
"
exercises
,
"
and
she
disliked
formal
written
prayers
.
So
she
merely
read
the
Bible
to
the
family
,
and
said
after
it
the
Lord
's
Prayer
.
But
,
constitutionally
shy
as
Miss
Leaf
was
to
do
even
this
in
presence
of
a
stranger
cost
her
some
effort
;
and
it
was
only
a
sense
of
duty
that
made
her
say
"
yes
"
to
Hilary
's
suggestion
,
"
I
suppose
we
ought
to
call
in
Elizabeth
?
"
Elizabeth
came
.
"
Sit
down
,
"
said
her
mistress
:
and
she
sat
down
,
staring
uneasily
round
about
her
,
as
if
wondering
what
was
going
to
befall
her
next
.
Very
silent
was
the
little
parlor
;
so
small
,
that
it
was
almost
filled
up
by
its
large
square
piano
,
its
six
cane-bottomed
chairs
,
and
one
easy
chair
,
in
which
sat
Miss
Leaf
with
the
great
Book
in
her
lap
.
"
Can
you
read
,
Elizabeth
?
"
"
Yes
,
ma'am
.
"
"
Hilary
,
give
her
a
bible
.
"
And
so
Elizabeth
followed
,
guided
by
her
not
too
clean
finger
,
the
words
,
read
in
that
soft
,
low
voice
,
somewhere
out
of
the
New
Testament
;
words
simple
enough
for
the
comprehension
of
a
child
or
a
heathen
.
The
"
South
Sea
Islander
,
"
as
Ascott
persisted
in
calling
her
,
then
,
doing
as
the
family
did
,
turned
round
to
kneel
down
;
but
in
her
confusion
she
knocked
over
a
chair
,
causing
Miss
Leaf
to
wait
a
minute
till
reverent
silence
was
restored
.
Elizabeth
knelt
,
with
her
eyes
fixed
on
the
wall
:
it
was
a
green
paper
,
patterned
with
bunches
of
nuts
.
How
far
she
listened
,
or
how
much
she
understood
,
it
was
impossible
to
say
;
but
her
manner
was
decent
and
decorous
.
"
Forgive
us
our
trespasses
as
we
forgive
those
that
trespass
against
us
.
"
Unconsciously
Miss
Leaf
's
gentle
voice
rested
on
these
words
,
so
needed
in
the
daily
life
of
every
human
being
,
and
especially
of
every
family
.
Was
she
the
only
one
who
thought
of
"
poor
Selina
?
"
They
all
rose
from
their
knees
,
and
Hilary
out
the
Bible
away
.
The
little
servant
"
hung
about
,
"
apparently
uncertain
what
was
next
to
be
done
,
or
what
was
expected
of
her
to
do
.
Hilary
touched
her
sister
.
"
Yes
,
"
said
Miss
Leaf
.
recollecting
herself
,
and
assuming
the
due
authority
,
"
it
is
quite
time
for
all
the
family
to
be
in
bed
.
Take
care
of
your
candle
,
and
mind
and
be
up
at
six
tomorrow
morning
.
"
This
was
addressed
to
the
new
maiden
,
who
dropped
a
courtesy
,
and
said
,
almost
cheerfully
,
"
Yes
,
ma'am
.
"
"
Very
well
,
Good
night
.
Elizabeth
.
"
And
following
Miss
Leaf
's
example
,
the
other
two
,
even
Ascott
,
said
civilly
and
kindly
,
"
Good
night
,
Elizabeth
.
"
CHAPTER
III
.
The
Christmas
holidays
ended
,
and
Ascott
left
for
London
.
It
was
the
greatest
household
change
the
Misses
Leaf
had
known
for
years
,
and
they
missed
him
sorely
.
Ascott
was
not
exactly
a
lovable
boy
,
and
yet
,
after
the
fashion
of
womankind
,
his
aunts
were
both
fond
and
proud
of
him
;
fond
,
in
their
childless
old
maidenhood
,
of
any
sort
of
nephew
,
and
proud
,
unconsciously
,
that
the
said
nephew
was
a
big
fellow
,
who
could
look
over
all
their
heads
,
besides
being
handsome
and
pleasant
mannered
,
and
though
not
clever
enough
to
set
the
Thames
on
fire
,
still
sufficiently
bright
to
make
them
hope
that
in
his
future
the
family
star
might
again
rise
.
There
was
something
pathetic
in
these
three
women
's
idealization
of
him
—
even
Selina
's
who
though
quarrelling
with
him
to
his
face
always
praised
him
behind
his
back
,
—
that
great
,
good-looking
,
lazy
lad
;
who
,
every
body
else
saw
clearly
enough
,
thought
more
of
his
own
noble
self
than
of
all
his
aunts
put
together
.
The
only
person
he
stood
in
awe
of
was
Mr.
Lyon
—
for
whom
he
always
protested
unbounded
respect
and
admiration
.
How
far
Robert
Lyon
liked
Ascott
even
Hilary
could
never
quite
find
out
;
but
he
was
always
very
kind
to
him
.
There
was
one
person
in
the
house
who
,
strange
to
say
,
did
not
succumb
to
the
all-dominating
youth
.
From
the
very
first
there
was
a
smouldering
feud
between
him
and
Elizabeth
.
Whether
she
overheard
,
and
slowly
began
to
comprehend
his
mocking
gibes
about
the
"
South
Sea
Islander
,
"
or
whether
her
sullen
and
dogged
spirit
resisted
the
first
attempts
the
lad
made
to
"
put
upon
her
"
—
as
he
did
upon
his
aunts
,
in
small
daily
tyrannies
—
was
never
found
out
;
but
certainly
Ascott
,
the
general
favorite
,
found
little
favor
with
the
new
servant
.
She
never
answered
when
he
"
hollo
'd
"
for
her
;
she
resisted
blacking
his
boots
more
than
once
a
day
;
and
she
obstinately
cleared
the
kitchen
fire-place
of
his
"
messes
,
"
as
she
ignominiously
termed
various
pots
and
pans
belonging
to
what
he
called
his
"
medical
studies
.
"
Although
the
war
was
passive
rather
than
aggressive
,
and
sometimes
a
source
of
private
amusement
to
the
aunts
,
still
,
on
the
whole
,
it
was
a
relief
when
the
exciting
cause
of
it
departed
;
his
new
and
most
gentlemanly
port
manteau
being
carried
down
stairs
by
Elizabeth
herself
,
of
her
own
accord
,
with
an
air
of
cheerful
alacrity
,
foreign
to
her
mien
for
some
weeks
past
,
and
which
,
even
in
the
midst
of
the
dolorous
parting
,
amused
Hilary
extremely
.
"
I
think
that
girl
is
a
character
,
"
she
said
afterward
to
Johanna
.
"
Any
how
she
has
curiously
strong
likes
and
dislikes
.
"
"
You
may
say
that
,
my
dear
;
for
she
brightens
up
whenever
she
looks
at
you
.
"
"
Does
she
?
Oh
,
that
must
be
because
I
have
most
to
do
with
her
.
It
is
wonderful
how
friendly
one
gets
over
sauce
pans
and
brooms
;
and
what
reverence
one
inspires
in
the
domestic
mind
when
one
really
knows
how
to
make
a
bed
or
a
pudding
.
"
"
How
I
wish
you
had
to
do
neither
!
"
sighed
Johanna
,
looking
fondly
at
the
bright
face
and
light
little
figure
that
was
flitting
about
putting
the
school-room
to
rights
before
the
pupils
came
in
.
"
Nonsense
—
I
do
n't
wish
any
such
thing
.
Doing
it
makes
me
not
a
whit
less
charming
and
lovely
.
"
She
often
applied
these
adjectives
to
herself
,
with
the
most
perfect
conviction
that
she
was
uttering
a
fiction
patent
to
every
body
.
I
must
be
very
juvenile
also
,
for
I
'm
certain
the
fellow-passenger
at
the
station
to-day
took
me
for
Ascott
's
sweetheart
.
When
we
were
saying
good
by
an
old
gentleman
who
sat
next
him
was
particularly
sympathetic
,
and
you
should
have
seen
how
indignantly
Ascott
replied
,
"
It
's
only
my
aunt
!
"
Miss
Leaf
laughed
,
and
the
shadow
vanished
from
her
face
,
as
Hilary
had
meant
it
should
.
She
only
said
,
caressing
her
,
"
Well
,
my
pet
,
never
mind
.
I
hope
you
will
have
a
real
sweetheart
some
day
.
"
"
I
'm
in
no
hurry
,
thank
you
,
Johanna
.
"
But
now
was
heard
the
knock
after
knock
of
the
little
boys
and
girls
,
and
there
began
that
monotonous
daily
round
of
school
labor
,
rising
from
the
simplicities
of
c
,
a
,
t
,
cat
,
and
d
,
o
,
g
,
dog
—
to
the
sublime
heights
of
Pinnock
and
Lennie
,
Telemaque
and
Latin
Delectus
.
No
loftier
;
Stowbury
being
well
supplied
with
first
class
schools
,
and
having
a
vague
impression
that
the
Misses
Leaf
,
born
ladies
and
not
brought
up
as
governesses
,
were
not
competent
educators
except
of
very
small
children
.
Which
was
true
enough
until
lately
.
So
Miss
Leaf
kept
contentedly
to
the
c
,
a
,
t
,
cat
,
and
d
,
o
,
g
,
dog
,
of
the
little
butchers
and
bakers
,
as
Miss
Selina
,
who
taught
only
sewing
,
and
came
into
the
school-room
but
little
during
the
day
,
scornfully
termed
them
.
The
higher
branches
such
as
they
were
,
she
left
gradually
to
Hilary
,
who
,
of
late
,
possibly
out
of
sympathy
with
a
friend
of
hers
,
had
begun
to
show
an
actual
gift
for
teaching
school
.
It
is
a
gift
—
all
will
allow
;
and
chiefly
those
who
have
it
not
,
among
which
was
poor
Johanna
Leaf
.
The
admiring
envy
with
which
she
watched
Hilary
,
moving
briskly
about
from
class
to
class
,
with
a
word
of
praise
to
one
and
rebuke
to
another
,
keeping
every
one
's
attention
alive
,
spurring
on
the
dull
,
controlling
the
unruly
,
and
exercising
over
every
member
in
this
little
world
that
influence
,
at
once
the
strongest
and
most
intangible
and
inexplicable
—
personal
influence
—
was
only
equaled
by
the
way
in
which
,
at
pauses
in
the
day
's
work
,
when
it
grew
dull
and
monotonous
or
when
the
stupidity
of
the
children
ruffled
her
own
quick
temper
beyond
endurance
,
Hilary
watched
Johanna
.
The
time
I
am
telling
of
now
is
long
ago
.
The
Stowbury
children
,
who
were
then
little
boys
and
girls
,
are
now
fathers
and
mothers
—
doubtless
a
large
proportion
being
decent
tradesfolk
in
Stowbury
still
;
though
,
in
this
locomotive
quarter
,
many
must
have
drifted
elsewhere
—
where
,
Heaven
knows
.
But
not
a
few
of
them
may
still
call
to
mind
Miss
Leaf
,
who
first
taught
them
their
letters
—
sitting
in
her
corner
between
the
fire
and
the
window
,
while
the
blind
was
drawn
down
to
keep
out
,
first
the
light
from
her
own
fading
eyes
,
and
,
secondly
,
the
distracting
view
of
green
fields
and
trees
from
the
youthful
eyes
by
her
side
.
They
may
remember
still
her
dark
plain
dress
and
her
white
apron
,
on
which
the
primers
,
torn
and
dirty
,
looked
half
ashamed
to
lie
;
and
above
all
,
her
sweet
face
and
sweeter
voice
,
never
heard
in
any
thing
sharper
than
that
grieved
tone
which
signified
their
being
"
naughty
children
.
"
They
may
recall
her
unwearied
patience
with
the
very
dullest
and
most
wayward
of
them
;
her
unfailing
sympathy
with
every
infantile
pleasure
and
pain
.
And
I
think
they
will
acknowledge
that
whether
she
taught
them
much
or
little
—
in
this
advancing
age
it
might
be
thought
little
—
Miss
Leaf
taught
them
one
thing
—
to
love
her
.
Which
,
as
Ben
Johnson
said
of
the
Countess
of
Pembroke
,
was
in
itself
a
"
liberal
education
.
"
Hilary
,
too
.
Often
when
Hilary
's
younger
and
more
restless
spirit
chafed
against
the
monotony
of
her
life
;
when
,
instead
of
wasting
her
days
in
teaching
small
children
,
she
would
have
liked
to
be
learning
,
learning
—
every
day
growing
wiser
and
cleverer
,
and
stretching
out
into
that
busy
,
bright
,
active
world
of
which
Robert
Lyon
had
told
her
—
then
the
sight
of
Johanna
's
meek
face
bent
over
those
dirty
spelling
books
would
at
once
rebuke
and
comfort
her
.
She
felt
,
after
all
,
that
she
would
not
mind
working
on
forever
,
so
long
as
Johanna
still
sat
there
.
Nevertheless
,
that
winter
seemed
to
her
very
long
—
especially
after
Ascott
was
gone
.
For
Johanna
,
partly
for
money
,
and
partly
for
kindness
,
had
added
to
her
day
's
work
four
evenings
a
week
when
a
half
educated
mother
of
one
of
her
little
pupils
came
to
be
taught
to
write
a
decent
hand
,
and
to
keep
the
accounts
of
her
shop
.
Upon
which
Selina
,
highly
indignant
,
had
taken
to
spending
her
evenings
in
the
school
room
,
interrupting
Hilary
's
solitary
studies
there
by
many
a
lamentation
over
the
peaceful
days
when
they
all
sat
in
the
kitchen
together
and
kept
no
servant
.
For
Selina
was
one
of
those
who
never
saw
the
bright
side
of
any
thing
till
it
had
gone
by
.
"
I
'm
sure
I
do
n't
know
how
we
are
to
manage
with
Elizabeth
.
That
greedy
—
"
"
And
growing
,
"
suggested
Hilary
.
"
I
say
that
greedy
girl
eats
as
much
as
any
two
of
us
.
And
as
for
her
clothes
—
her
mother
does
not
keep
her
even
decent
.
"
"
She
would
find
it
difficult
upon
three
pounds
a
year
.
"
"
Hilary
,
how
dare
you
contradict
me
!
I
am
only
stating
a
plain
fact
.
"
"
And
I
another
.
But
,
indeed
,
I
do
n't
want
to
talk
Selina
.
"
"
You
never
do
except
when
you
are
wished
to
be
silent
;
and
then
your
tongue
goes
like
any
race
horse
.
"
"
Does
it
?
Well
,
like
Gilpin
's
,
'
It
carries
weight
:
it
rides
a
race
,
'
Tis
for
a
thousand
pound
?
'
—
and
I
only
wish
it
were
.
Heigh
ho
!
if
I
could
but
earn
a
thousand
pounds
!
"
Selina
was
too
vexed
to
reply
and
for
five
quiet
minutes
Hilary
bent
over
her
Homer
which
Mr.
Lyon
had
taken
such
pleasure
in
teaching
her
,
because
he
said
,
she
learned
it
faster
than
any
of
his
grammar
school
boys
.
She
had
forgotten
all
domestic
grievances
in
a
vision
of
Thetis
and
the
water
nymphs
;
and
was
repeating
to
herself
,
first
in
the
sonorous
Greek
and
then
in
Pope
's
small
but
sweet
English
,
that
catalogue
of
oceanic
beauties
ending
with
"
Black
Janira
and
Janassa
fair
,
And
Amatheia
with
her
amber
hair
.
"
"
Black
,
did
you
say
?
I
'm
sure
she
was
as
black
as
a
chimney
sweep
all
to-day
.
And
her
pinafore
"
"
Her
what
?
Oh
,
Elizabeth
,
you
mean
—
"
"
Her
pinafore
had
three
rents
in
it
,
which
she
never
thinks
of
mending
though
I
gave
her
needles
and
thread
myself
a
week
ago
.
But
she
does
not
know
how
to
use
them
any
more
than
a
baby
.
"
"
Possibly
,
nobody
ever
taught
her
.
"
"
Yes
;
she
went
for
a
year
to
the
National
School
,
she
says
,
and
learned
both
marking
and
sewing
.
"
"
Perhaps
she
has
never
practiced
them
since
.
She
could
hardly
have
had
time
,
with
all
the
little
Hands
to
look
after
,
as
her
mother
says
she
did
.
All
the
better
for
us
.
It
makes
her
wonderfully
patient
with
our
troublesome
brats
.
It
was
only
to
day
,
when
that
horrid
little
Jacky
Smith
hurt
himself
so
,
that
I
saw
Elizabeth
take
him
into
the
kitchen
,
wash
his
face
and
hands
,
and
cuddle
him
up
and
comfort
him
,
quite
motherly
.
Her
forte
is
certainly
children
.
"
"
You
always
find
something
to
say
for
her
.
"
"
I
should
be
ashamed
if
I
could
not
find
something
to
say
for
any
body
who
is
always
abused
.
"
Another
pause
—
and
then
Selina
returned
to
the
charge
.
"
Have
you
ever
observed
,
my
dear
,
the
extraordinary
way
she
has
of
fastening
,
or
rather
,
not
fastening
her
gown
behind
?
She
just
hooks
it
together
at
the
top
and
at
the
waist
,
while
between
there
is
a
—
"
"
Hiatus
valde
deflendus
.
Oh
dear
me
!
what
shall
I
do
?
Selina
,
how
can
I
help
it
if
a
girl
of
fifteen
years
old
is
not
a
paragon
of
perfection
?
as
of
course
we
all
are
,
if
we
only
could
find
it
out
.
"
And
Hilary
,
in
despair
,
rose
to
carry
her
candle
and
books
into
the
chilly
but
quiet
bedroom
,
biting
her
lips
the
while
lest
she
should
be
tempted
to
say
something
which
Selina
called
"
impertinent
,
"
which
perhaps
it
was
,
from
a
younger
sister
to
an
elder
.
I
do
not
set
Hilary
up
as
a
perfect
character
.
Through
sorrow
only
do
people
go
on
to
perfection
;
and
sorrow
,
in
its
true
meaning
,
the
cherished
girl
had
never
known
.
But
that
night
,
talking
to
Johanna
before
they
went
to
sleep
—
they
had
always
slept
together
since
the
time
when
the
elder
sister
used
to
walk
the
room
of
nights
with
that
pulling
,
motherless
infant
in
her
arms
—
Hilary
anxiously
started
the
question
of
the
little
servant
.
"
I
am
afraid
I
vexed
Selina
greatly
about
her
to-night
,
and
yet
what
can
one
do
?
Selina
is
so
very
unjust
—
always
expecting
impossibilities
.
She
would
like
to
have
Elizabeth
at
once
a
first
rate
cook
,
a
finished
house-maid
,
and
an
attentive
lady
's
maid
,
and
all
without
being
taught
!
She
gives
her
things
to
do
,
neither
waiting
to
see
if
they
are
comprehended
by
her
,
nor
showing
her
how
to
do
them
.
Of
course
the
girl
stands
gaping
and
staring
and
does
not
do
them
,
or
does
them
so
badly
,
that
she
gets
a
thorough
scolding
.
"
"
Is
she
very
stupid
,
do
you
think
?
"
asked
Johanna
,
in
unconscious
appeal
to
her
pet
's
stronger
judgment
.
"
No
,
I
do
n't
.
Far
from
stupid
;
only
very
ignorant
,
and
—
you
would
hardly
believe
it
—
very
nervous
.
Selina
frightens
her
.
She
gets
on
extremely
well
with
me
.
"
"
Any
one
would
,
my
dear
.
That
is
,
"
added
the
conscientious
elder
sister
,
still
afraid
of
making
the
"
child
"
vain
,
"
any
one
whom
you
took
pain
with
.
But
do
you
think
you
can
ever
make
any
thing
out
of
Elizabeth
?
Her
month
ends
to-morrow
.
Shall
we
let
her
go
?
"
"
And
perhaps
get
in
her
place
a
story-teller
—
a
tale-bearer
—
even
a
thief
.
No
,
no
;
let
us
'
Rather
bear
the
ills
we
have
,
Than
fly
to
others
that
we
know
not
of
;
'
and
a
thief
would
be
worse
than
even
a
South
Sea
Islander
.
"
"
Oh
yes
,
my
dear
,
"
said
Johanna
,
with
a
shiver
.
"
By-the-by
,
the
first
step
in
the
civilization
of
the
Polynesians
was
giving
them
clothes
.
And
I
have
heard
say
that
crime
and
rags
often
go
together
;
that
a
man
unconsciously
feels
that
he
owes
something
to
himself
and
society
in
the
way
of
virtue
when
he
has
a
clean
face
and
clean
shirt
,
and
a
decent
coat
on
.
Suppose
we
try
the
experiment
of
dressing
Elizabeth
.
How
many
old
gowns
have
we
?
"
The
number
was
few
.
Nothing
in
the
Leaf
family
was
ever
cast
off
till
its
very
last
extremity
of
decay
;
the
talent
that
"
Gars
auld
claes
look
amaist
as
gude
's
the
new
"
being
specially
possessed
by
Hilary
.
She
counted
over
her
own
wardrobe
and
Johanna
's
but
found
nothing
that
could
be
spared
.
"
Yes
,
my
love
,
there
is
one
thing
.
You
certainly
shall
never
put
on
that
old
brown
merino
again
;
though
you
have
laid
it
so
carefully
by
,
as
if
you
meant
it
to
come
out
as
fresh
as
ever
next
winter
.
No
,
Hilary
,
you
must
have
a
new
gown
,
and
you
must
give
Elizabeth
your
brown
merino
.
"
Hilary
laughed
,
and
replied
not
.
Now
it
might
be
a
pathetic
indication
of
a
girl
who
had
very
few
clothes
,
but
Hilary
had
a
superstitious
weakness
concerning
hers
.
—
Every
dress
had
its
own
peculiar
chronicle
of
the
scenes
where
it
had
been
,
the
enjoyments
she
had
shared
in
it
.
Particular
dresses
were
special
memorials
of
her
loves
,
her
pleasures
,
her
little
passing
pains
;
as
long
as
a
bit
remained
of
the
poor
old
fabric
the
sight
of
it
recalled
them
all
.
This
brown
merino
—
in
which
she
had
sat
two
whole
winters
over
her
Greek
and
Latin
by
Robert
Lyon
's
side
,
which
he
had
once
stopped
to
touch
and
notice
,
saying
what
a
pretty
color
it
was
,
and
how
he
liked
soft-feeling
dresses
for
women
—
to
cut
up
this
old
brown
merino
seemed
to
hurt
her
so
she
could
almost
have
cried
.
Yet
what
would
Johanna
think
if
the
refused
?
And
there
was
Elizabeth
absolutely
in
want
of
clothes
.
"
I
must
be
growing
very
wicked
,
"
thought
poor
Hilary
.
She
lay
a
good
while
silent
in
the
dark
,
while
Johanna
planned
and
replanned
—
calculating
how
,
even
with
the
addition
of
an
old
cape
of
her
own
,
which
was
out
of
the
same
piece
,
this
hapless
gown
could
be
made
to
fit
the
gaunt
frame
of
Elizabeth
Hand
.
—
Her
poor
kindly
brain
was
in
the
last
extremity
of
muddle
,
when
Hilary
,
with
a
desperate
effort
,
dashed
in
to
the
rescue
,
and
soon
made
all
clear
,
contriving
body
,
skirt
,
sleeves
and
all
.
"
You
have
the
best
head
in
the
world
,
my
love
.
I
do
n't
know
whatever
I
should
do
without
you
.
"
"
Luckily
you
are
never
likely
to
be
tried
.
So
give
me
a
kiss
;
and
good
night
,
Johanna
.
"
I
misdoubt
many
will
say
I
am
writing
about
small
,
ridiculously
small
,
things
.
Yet
is
not
the
whole
of
life
made
up
of
infinitesimally
small
things
?
And
in
its
strange
and
solemn
mosaic
,
the
full
pattern
of
which
we
never
see
clearly
till
looking
back
on
it
from
far
away
,
dare
we
say
of
any
thing
which
the
hand
of
Eternal
Wisdom
has
put
together
,
that
it
is
too
common
or
too
small
?
CHAPTER
IV
.
While
her
anxious
mistresses
were
thus
talking
her
over
the
servant
lay
on
her
humble
bed
and
slept
.
They
knew
she
did
,
for
they
heard
her
heavy
breathing
through
the
thin
partition
wall
.
Whether
,
as
Hilary
suggested
,
she
was
too
ignorant
to
notice
the
days
of
the
week
,
or
month
,
or
,
as
Selina
thought
,
too
stupid
to
care
for
any
thing
beyond
eating
,
drinking
,
and
sleeping
.
Elizabeth
manifested
no
anxiety
about
herself
or
her
destiny
.
She
went
about
her
work
just
as
usual
;
a
little
quicker
and
readier
,
now
she
was
becoming
familiarized
to
it
;
but
she
said
nothing
.
She
was
undoubtedly
a
girl
of
silent
and
undemonstrative
nature
.
"
Sometimes
still
waters
run
deep
,
"
said
Miss
Hilary
.
"
Nevertheless
.
there
are
such
things
as
canals
,
"
replied
Johanna
.
"
When
do
you
mean
to
have
your
little
talk
with
her
?
"
Hilary
did
not
know
.
She
was
sitting
,
rather
more
tired
than
usual
,
by
the
school-room
fire
,
the
little
people
having
just
departed
for
their
Saturday
half-holiday
.
Before
clearing
off
the
debris
which
they
always
left
behind
,
she
stood
a
minute
at
the
window
,
refreshing
her
eyes
with
the
green
field
opposite
,
and
the
far-away
wood
,
crowned
by
a
dim
white
monument
,
visible
in
fair
weather
,
on
which
those
bright
brown
eyes
had
a
trick
of
lingering
,
even
in
the
middle
of
school
hours
.
For
the
wood
and
the
hill
beyond
belonged
to
a
nobleman
's
"
show
"
estate
,
five
miles
off
—
the
only
bit
of
real
landscape
beauty
that
Hilary
had
ever
beheld
.
There
,
during
the
last
holidays
but
one
,
she
,
her
sisters
,
her
nephew
,
and
,
by
his
own
special
request
,
Mr.
Lyon
,
had
spent
a
whole
long
,
merry
,
midsummer
day
.
She
wondered
whether
such
a
day
would
ever
come
again
!
But
spring
was
coming
again
,
any
how
;
the
field
looked
smiling
and
green
,
specked
here
and
there
with
white
dots
which
,
she
opined
.
might
possibly
be
daisies
.
She
half
wished
she
was
not
too
old
and
dignified
to
dart
across
the
road
,
leap
the
sunk
fence
,
and
run
to
see
.
"
I
think
,
Johanna
—
Hark
,
what
can
that
be
?
"
For
at
this
instant
somebody
came
tearing
down
the
stairs
,
opened
the
front
door
,
and
did
—
exactly
what
Hilary
had
just
been
wishing
to
do
.
"
It
's
Elizabeth
,
without
her
bonnet
or
shawl
,
with
something
white
flying
behind
her
.
How
she
is
dashing
across
the
field
!
What
can
she
be
after
?
Just
look
.
"
But
loud
screams
from
Selina
's
room
,
the
front
,
one
,
where
she
had
been
lying
in
bed
all
morning
,
quite
obliterated
the
little
servant
from
their
minds
.
The
two
sisters
ran
hastily
up
stairs
.
Selina
was
sitting
up
,
in
undisguised
terror
and
agitation
.
"
Stop
her
!
Hold
her
!
I
'm
sure
she
has
gone
mad
.
Lock
the
door
,
or
she
'll
come
back
and
murder
us
all
.
"
"
Who
?
Elizabeth
!
Was
she
here
?
What
has
been
the
matter
?
"
But
it
was
some
time
before
they
could
make
out
any
thing
.
At
last
they
gathered
that
Elizabeth
had
been
waiting
upon
Miss
Selina
,
putting
vinegar
cloths
on
her
head
,
and
doing
various
things
about
the
room
.
"
She
is
very
handy
when
one
is
ill.
"
even
Selina
allowed
.
"
And
I
assure
you
I
was
talking
most
kindly
to
her
;
about
the
duties
of
her
position
,
and
how
she
ought
to
dress
better
,
and
be
more
civil
behaved
,
or
else
she
never
could
except
to
keep
any
place
.
And
she
stood
in
her
usual
sulky
way
of
listening
,
never
answering
a
word
—
with
her
back
to
me
,
staring
right
out
of
window
.
And
I
had
just
said
,
Elizabeth
,
my
girl
'
—
indeed
,
Hilary
,
I
was
talking
to
her
in
my
very
kindest
way
—
"
"
I
've
no
doubt
of
it
—
but
do
get
on
.
"
"
When
she
suddenly
turned
round
,
snatched
a
clean
towel
from
a
chair
back
,
and
another
from
my
head
—
actually
from
my
very
head
,
Johanna
—
and
out
she
ran
.
I
called
after
her
,
but
she
took
no
more
notice
than
if
I
had
been
a
stone
.
And
she
left
the
door
wide
open
—
blowing
upon
me
.
Oh
,
dear
;
she
has
given
me
my
death
of
cold
.
"
And
Selina
broke
out
into
piteous
complainings
.
Her
elder
sister
soothed
her
as
well
as
she
could
,
while
Hilary
ran
down
to
the
front
door
and
looked
,
and
enquired
every
where
for
Elizabeth
.
She
was
not
to
be
seen
on
field
or
road
;
and
along
that
quiet
terrace
not
a
soul
had
even
perceived
her
quit
the
house
.
"
It
's
a
very
odd
thing
.
"
said
Hilary
,
returning
.
"
What
can
have
come
over
the
girl
?
You
are
sure
,
Selina
,
that
you
said
nothing
which
—
"
"
Now
I
know
what
you
are
going
to
say
,
You
are
going
to
blame
me
.
Whatever
happens
in
this
house
you
always
blame
me
.
And
perhaps
you
're
right
.
Perhaps
I
am
a
nuisance
—
a
burden
—
would
be
far
better
dead
and
buried
.
I
wish
I
were
!
"
When
Selina
took
this
tack
,
of
course
her
sisters
were
silenced
.
They
quited
her
a
little
,
and
then
went
down
and
searched
the
house
all
over
.
All
was
in
order
;
at
least
in
as
much
order
as
was
to
be
expected
the
hour
before
dinner
.
The
bowl
of
half-peeled
potatoes
stood
on
the
back
kitchen
"
sink
;
"
the
roast
was
down
before
the
fire
;
the
knives
were
ready
for
cleaning
.
Evidently
Elizabeth
flight
had
not
been
premeditated
.
"
It
's
all
nonsense
about
her
going
mad
.
She
has
as
sound
a
head
as
I
have
,
"
said
Hilary
to
Johanna
,
who
began
to
look
seriously
uneasy
.
"
She
might
have
run
away
in
a
fit
of
passion
,
certainly
;
and
yet
that
is
improbable
;
her
temper
is
more
sullen
than
furious
.
And
having
no
lack
of
common
sense
she
must
know
that
doing
a
thing
like
this
is
enough
to
make
her
lose
her
place
at
once
.
"
"
Yes
,
"
said
Johanna
,
mournfully
,
"
I
'm
afraid
after
this
she
must
go
.
"
"
Wait
and
see
what
she
has
to
say
for
herself
.
"
pleaded
Hilary
.
"
She
will
surely
be
back
in
two
or
three
minutes
.
"
But
she
was
not
,
nor
even
in
two
or
three
hours
.
Her
mistresses
'
annoyance
became
displeasure
,
and
that
again
subsided
into
serious
apprehension
.
Even
Selina
ceased
talking
over
and
over
the
incident
which
gave
the
sole
information
to
be
arrived
at
;
rose
,
dressed
,
and
came
down
to
the
kitchen
.
There
,
after
long
and
anxious
consultation
,
Hilary
,
observing
that
"
Somebody
had
better
do
something
,
"
began
to
prepare
the
dinner
as
in
pre-Elizabethan
days
;
but
the
three
ladies
'
appetites
were
small
.
About
three
in
the
afternoon
,
Hilary
,
giving
utterance
to
the
hidden
alarm
of
all
,
said
—
"
I
think
,
sisters
,
I
had
better
go
down
as
quickly
as
I
can
to
Mrs.
Hand
's
.
"
This
agreed
,
she
stood
consulting
with
Johanna
as
to
what
could
possibly
be
said
to
the
mother
in
case
that
unfortunate
child
had
not
gone
home
,
when
the
kitchen
door
opened
,
and
the
culprit
appeared
.
Not
,
however
,
with
the
least
look
of
a
culprit
.
Hot
she
was
,
and
breathless
;
and
with
her
hair
down
about
her
ears
,
and
her
apron
rolled
up
round
her
waist
,
presented
a
most
forlorn
and
untidy
aspect
;
but
her
eyes
were
bright
,
and
her
countenance
glowing
.
She
took
a
towel
from
under
her
arm
.
—
"
There
's
one
on
'
em
—
and
you
'll
get
back
—
the
other
—
when
it
's
washed
.
"
Having
blurted
out
this
,
she
leaned
against
the
wall
,
trying
to
recover
her
breath
.
"
Elizabeth
!
Where
have
you
been
?
How
dared
you
go
?
Your
behavior
is
disgraceful
—
most
disgraceful
,
I
say
.
Johanna
,
why
do
n't
you
speak
to
your
servant
?
"
(
When
,
for
remissness
in
reproving
others
,
the
elder
sister
herself
fell
under
reproof
,
it
was
always
emphatically
"
your
sister
—
"
your
nephew
"
—
"
your
servant
.
"
)
But
,
for
once
,
Miss
Selina
's
sharp
voice
failed
to
bring
the
customary
sullen
look
to
Elizabeth
's
face
,
and
when
Miss
Leaf
,
in
her
milder
tones
,
asked
where
she
had
been
,
she
answered
unhesitatingly
—
"
I
've
been
down
the
town
.
"
"
Down
the
town
!
"
the
three
ladies
cried
,
in
one
chorus
of
astonishment
.
"
I
've
been
as
quick
as
I
could
,
missis
.
I
runned
all
the
way
there
and
back
;
but
it
was
a
good
step
,
and
he
was
some'at
heavy
,
though
he
is
but
a
little'un
,
"
"
He
!
who
on
earth
is
he
?
"
"
Deary
me
!
I
never
thought
of
axing
;
but
his
mother
lives
in
Hall
street
.
Somebody
saw
me
carrying
him
to
the
doctor
,
and
went
and
told
her
.
Oh
!
he
was
welly
killed
,
Miss
Leaf
—
the
doctor
said
so
;
but
he
'll
do
now
,
and
you
'll
get
your
towel
clean
washed
tomorrow
.
"
While
Elizabeth
spoke
so
incoherently
,
and
with
such
unwonted
energy
and
excitement
,
Johanna
looked
as
if
she
thought
her
sister
's
fears
were
true
,
and
the
girl
had
really
gone
mad
;
but
Hilary
's
quicker
perceptions
jumped
at
a
different
conclusion
.
"
Quiet
yourself
,
Elizabeth
,
"
said
she
,
taking
a
firm
hold
of
her
shoulder
,
and
making
her
sit
down
,
when
the
rolled-up
apron
dropped
,
and
showed
itself
all
covered
with
blood
spots
.
Selina
screamed
outright
.
Then
Elizabeth
seemed
to
become
half
conscious
that
she
had
done
something
blamable
,
or
was
at
least
a
suspected
character
.
Her
warmth
of
manner
faded
;
the
sullen
cloud
of
dogged
resistance
to
authority
was
rising
in
her
poor
dirty
face
,
when
Hilary
,
beginning
with
,
"
Now
,
we
are
not
going
to
scold
you
;
but
we
must
hear
the
reason
of
this
,
"
contrived
by
adroit
questions
,
and
not
a
few
of
them
,
to
elicit
the
whole
story
.
It
appeared
that
,
while
standing
at
Miss
Selina
's
window
,
Elizabeth
had
watched
three
little
boys
,
apparently
engaged
in
a
very
favorite
amusement
of
little
boys
in
that
field
,
going
quickly
behind
a
horse
,
and
pulling
out
the
longest
and
handsomest
hairs
in
his
tail
to
make
fishing
lines
of
.
She
saw
the
animal
give
a
kick
,
and
two
of
the
boys
ran
away
;
the
other
did
not
stir
.
For
a
minute
or
so
she
noticed
a
black
lump
lying
in
the
grass
;
then
,
with
the
quick
instinct
for
which
nobody
had
ever
given
her
credit
,
she
guessed
what
had
happened
,
and
did
immediately
the
wisest
and
only
thing
possible
under
the
circumstances
,
namely
,
to
snatch
up
a
towel
,
run
across
the
field
,
bind
up
the
child
's
head
as
well
as
she
could
,
and
carry
it
,
bleeding
and
insensible
,
to
the
nearest
doctor
,
who
lived
nearly
a
mile
off
.
She
did
not
tell
—
and
they
only
found
it
out
afterward
—
how
she
had
held
the
boy
while
under
the
doctor
's
hands
,
the
skull
being
so
badly
fractured
that
the
frightened
mother
fainted
at
the
sight
;
how
she
had
finally
carried
him
home
,
and
left
him
comfortably
settled
in
bed
,
his
senses
returned
,
and
his
life
saved
.
"
Ay
,
my
arms
do
ache
above
a
bit
,
"
she
said
,
in
answer
to
Miss
Leaf
's
questions
.
"
He
was
n't
quite
a
baby
—
nigh
upon
twelve
,
I
reckon
;
but
then
he
was
very
small
of
his
age
.
And
he
looked
just
as
if
he
was
dead
—
and
he
bled
so
.
"
Here
,
just
for
a
second
or
two
,
the
color
left
the
big
girl
's
lips
,
and
she
trembled
a
little
.
Miss
Leaf
went
to
the
kitchen
cupboard
,
and
took
out
their
only
bottle
of
wine
—
administered
in
rare
doses
,
exclusively
as
medicine
.
"
Drink
this
,
Elizabeth
;
and
then
go
and
wash
your
face
and
eat
your
dinner
.
We
will
talk
to
you
by-and-by
.
"
Elizabeth
looked
up
with
a
long
,
wistfull
stare
of
intense
surprise
,
and
then
added
,
"
Have
I
done
any
thing
wrong
,
missis
?
"
"
I
did
not
say
so
.
But
drink
this
;
and
do
n't
talk
,
child
.
"
She
was
obeyed
.
By-and-by
Elizabeth
disappeared
into
the
back
kitchen
,
emerged
thence
with
a
clean
face
,
hands
,
and
apron
;
and
went
about
her
afternoon
business
as
if
nothing
had
happened
.
Her
mistresses
'
threatened
"
talk
"
with
her
never
came
about
.
What
,
indeed
,
could
they
say
?
No
doubt
the
little
servant
had
broken
the
strict
letter
of
domestic
law
by
running
off
in
that
highly
eccentric
and
inconvenient
way
;
but
,
as
Hilary
tried
to
explain
by
a
series
of
most
ingenious
ratiocinations
,
she
had
fulfilled
,
in
the
spirit
of
it
,
the
very
highest
law
—
that
of
charity
.
She
had
also
shown
prompt
courage
,
decision
,
practical
and
prudent
forethought
,
and
above
all
,
entire
self-forgetfulness
.
"
And
I
should
like
to
know
,
"
said
Miss
Hilary
,
warming
with
her
subject
,
"
if
those
are
not
the
very
qualities
that
go
to
constitute
a
hero
.
"
"
But
we
do
n't
want
a
hero
;
we
want
a
maid-of-all-work
.
"
"
I
'll
tell
you
what
we
want
,
Selina
.
We
want
a
woman
;
that
is
,
a
girl
with
the
making
of
a
good
woman
in
her
.
If
we
can
find
that
,
all
the
rest
will
follow
.
For
my
part
,
I
would
rather
take
this
child
,
rough
as
she
is
,
but
with
her
truthfulness
,
conscientiousness
,
kindliness
of
heart
,
and
evident
capability
of
both
self-control
and
self-devotedness
,
than
the
most
finished
servant
we
could
find
.
My
advice
is
—
keep
her
.
"
This
settled
the
matter
,
since
it
was
a
curious
fact
that
the
"
advice
"
of
the
youngest
Miss
Leaf
was
,
whether
they
knew
it
or
not
,
almost
equivalent
to
a
family
ukase
.
When
Elizabeth
had
brought
in
the
tea-things
,
which
she
did
with
especial
care
,
apparently
wishing
to
blot
out
the
memory
of
the
morning
's
escapade
by
astonishingly
good
behavior
for
the
rest
of
the
day
,
Miss
Leaf
called
her
,
and
asked
if
she
knew
that
her
month
of
trial
ended
this
day
?
"
Yes
,
ma'am
,
"
with
the
strict
normal
courtesy
,
something
between
that
of
the
old-world
family
domestic
—
as
her
mother
might
have
been
to
the
Miss
Elizabeth
Something
she
was
named
after
—
and
the
abrupt
"
dip
"
of
the
modern
National
school
girl
;
which
constituted
Elizabeth
Hand
's
sole
experience
of
manners
.
"
If
you
had
not
been
absent
I
should
have
gone
to
speak
with
your
mother
to-day
.
Indeed
Miss
Hilary
was
going
when
you
came
in
;
but
it
would
have
been
with
a
very
different
intention
from
what
we
had
in
the
morning
.
However
,
that
is
not
likely
to
happen
again
.
"
"
Eh
?
"
said
Elizabeth
,
inquiringly
.
Miss
Leaf
hesitated
,
and
looked
uneasily
at
her
two
sisters
.
It
was
always
a
trial
to
her
shy
nature
to
find
herself
the
mouth-piece
of
the
family
;
and
this
same
shyness
made
it
still
more
difficult
to
break
through
the
stiff
barriers
which
seemed
to
rise
up
between
her
,
a
gentlewoman
well
on
in
years
,
and
this
coarse
working
girl
.
She
felt
,
as
she
often
complained
,
that
with
the-kindest
intentions
,
she
did
not
quite
know
how
to
talk
to
Elizabeth
.
"
My
sister
means
,
"
said
Hilary
,
"
that
as
we
are
not
likely
to
have
little
boys
half
killed
in
the
field
every
day
,
she
trusts
you
will
not
be
running
away
again
as
you
did
this
morning
.
She
feels
sure
that
you
would
not
do
such
a
thing
,
putting
us
all
to
so
great
annoyance
and
uneasiness
,
for
any
less
cause
than
such
as
happened
to-day
.
You
promise
that
?
"
"
Yes
,
Miss
Hilary
.
"
"
Then
we
quite
forgive
you
as
regards
ourselves
.
Nay
"
—
feeling
in
spite
of
Selina
's
warning
nudge
,
that
she
had
hardly
been
kind
enough
—
"
we
rather
praise
than
blame
you
,
Elizabeth
.
And
if
you
like
to
stay
with
us
and
will
do
your
best
to
improve
,
we
are
willing
to
keep
you
as
our
servant
.
"
"
Thank
you
ma'am
.
Thank
you
,
Miss
Hilary
.
Yes
,
I
'll
stop
.
"
She
said
no
more
—
but
sighed
a
great
sigh
,
as
if
her
mind
were
relieved
—
(
"
So
,
"
thought
Hilary
,
"
she
was
not
so
indifferent
to
us
as
we
imagined
"
)
—
and
bustled
back
into
her
kitchen
.
"
Now
for
the
clothing
of
her
,
"
observed
Miss
Leaf
,
also
looking
much
relieved
that
the
decision
was
over
.
"
You
know
what
we
agreed
upon
;
and
there
is
certainly
no
time
to
be
lost
.
Hilary
,
my
dear
,
suppose
you
bring
down
your
brown
merino
?
"
Hilary
went
without
a
word
.
People
who
inhabit
the
same
house
,
eat
,
sit
,
and
sleep
together
—
loving
one
another
and
sympathizing
with
one
another
,
ever
so
deeply
and
dearly
—
nevertheless
inevitably
have
momentary
seasons
when
the
intense
solitude
in
which
we
all
live
,
and
must
expect
ever
to
live
,
at
the
depth
of
our
being
,
forces
itself
painfully
upon
the
heart
.
Johanna
must
have
had
many
such
seasons
when
Hilary
was
a
child
;
Hilary
had
one
now
.
She
unfolded
the
old
frock
,
and
took
out
of
its
pocket
,
a
hiding
place
at
once
little
likely
to
be
searched
,
and
harmless
if
discovered
,
a
poor
little
memento
of
that
happy
midsummer
day
.
"
Dear
Miss
Hilary
.
To-morrow
,
then
,
I
shall
come
.
Yours
truly
,
Robert
Lyon
.
"
The
only
scrap
of
note
she
had
ever
received
;
he
always
wrote
to
Johanna
;
as
regularly
as
ever
,
or
more
so
,
now
Ascott
was
gone
;
but
only
to
Johanna
.
She
read
over
the
two
lines
,
wondered
where
she
should
keep
them
now
that
Johanna
might
not
notice
them
;
and
then
recoiled
,
as
if
the
secret
were
a
wrong
to
that
dear
sister
who
loved
her
so
well
.
"
But
nothing
makes
me
love
her
less
;
nothing
ever
could
.
She
thinks
me
quite
happy
,
as
I
am
;
and
yet
—
oh
,
if
I
did
not
miss
him
so
!
"
And
the
aching
,
aching
want
which
sometimes
came
over
began
again
.
Let
us
not
blame
her
.
God
made
all
our
human
needs
.
God
made
love
.
Not
merely
affection
but
actual
love
—
the
necessity
to
seek
and
find
out
some
other
being
,
not
another
but
the
complement
of
one
's
self
—
the
"
other
half
,
"
who
brings
rest
and
strength
for
weakness
,
sympathy
in
aspiration
,
and
tenderness
for
tenderness
,
as
no
other
person
ever
can
.
Perhaps
,
even
in
marriage
,
this
love
is
seldom
found
,
and
it
is
possible
in
all
lives
to
do
without
it
.
Johanna
had
done
so
.
But
then
she
had
been
young
,
and
was
now
growing
old
;
and
Hilary
was
only
twenty
,
with
a
long
life
before
her
.
Poor
child
,
let
us
not
blame
her
!
She
was
not
in
the
least
sentimental
,
her
natural
disposition
inclining
her
to
be
more
than
cheerful
,
actually
gay
.
She
soon
recovered
herself
,
and
when
,
a
short
time
after
,
she
stood
,
scissors
in
hand
,
demonstrating
how
very
easy
it
was
to
make
something
out
of
nothing
,
her
sisters
never
suspected
how
very
near
tears
had
lately
been
to
those
bright
eyes
,
which
were
always
the
sunshine
of
the
house
.
"
You
are
giving
yourself
a
world
of
trouble
,
"
said
Selina
.
"
If
I
were
you
,
I
would
just
make
over
the
dress
to
Elizabeth
,
and
let
her
do
what
she
could
with
it
.
"
"
My
dear
,
I
always
find
I
give
myself
twice
the
trouble
by
expecting
people
to
do
what
they
ca
n't
do
.
I
have
to
do
it
myself
afterward
.
Prove
how
a
child
who
ca
n't
even
handle
a
needle
and
thread
is
competent
to
make
a
gown
for
herself
,
and
I
shall
be
most
happy
to
secede
in
her
favor
.
"
"
Nay
,
"
put
in
the
eldest
sister
,
afraid
of
a
collision
of
words
,
"
Selina
is
right
;
if
you
do
not
teach
Elizabeth
to
make
her
own
gowns
how
can
she
learn
?
"
"
Johanna
,
you
are
the
brilliantest
of
women
!
and
you
know
you
do
n't
like
the
parlor
littered
with
rags
and
cuttings
.
You
wish
to
get
rid
of
me
for
the
evening
?
Well
,
I
'll
go
!
Hand
me
the
work
basket
and
the
bundle
,
and
I
'll
give
my
first
lesson
in
dress
making
to
our
South
Sea
Islander
.
"
But
Fate
stood
in
the
way
of
Miss
Hilary
's
good
intentions
.
She
found
Elizabeth
not
as
was
her
wont
,
always
busy
,
over
the
perpetual
toil
of
those
who
have
not
yet
learned
the
mysterious
art
of
arrangement
and
order
,
nor
,
as
sometimes
,
hanging
sleepily
over
the
kitchen
fire
,
waiting
for
bedtime
;
but
actually
sitting
,
sitting
down
at
the
table
.
Her
candle
was
flaring
on
one
side
of
her
;
on
the
other
was
the
school
room
inkstand
,
a
scrap
of
waste
paper
,
and
a
pen
But
she
was
not
writing
;
she
sat
with
her
head
on
her
hands
,
in
an
attitude
of
disconsolate
idleness
,
so
absorbed
that
she
seemed
not
to
hear
Hilary
's
approach
.
"
I
did
not
know
you
could
write
,
Elizabeth
.
"
"
No
more
I
can
,
"
was
the
answer
,
in
the
most
doleful
of
voices
.
"
It
bea
n't
no
good
.
I
've
forgotten
all
about
it
.
T
'
letters
wonna
join
.
"
"
Let
me
look
at
them
.
"
And
Hilary
tried
to
contemplate
gravely
the
scrawled
and
blotted
page
,
which
looked
very
much
as
if
a
large
spider
had
walked
into
the
ink
bottle
,
and
then
walked
out
again
on
a
tour
of
investigation
.
"
What
did
you
want
to
write
?
"
asked
she
,
suddenly
.
Elizabeth
blushed
violently
.
"
It
was
the
woman
,
Mrs.
Cliffe
,
t
'
little
lad
's
mother
,
you
know
;
she
wanted
somebody
to
write
to
her
husband
as
is
at
work
at
Birmingham
,
and
I
said
I
would
.
I
'd
learned
at
the
National
,
but
I
've
forgotten
it
all
.
I
'm
just
as
Miss
Selina
says
—
I
'm
good
for
nowt
.
"
"
Come
,
come
,
never
fret
;
"
for
there
was
a
sort
of
choke
in
the
girl
's
voice
.
"
There
's
many
a
good
person
who
never
learned
to
write
.
But
I
do
n't
see
why
you
should
not
learn
.
Shall
I
teach
you
?
"
Utter
amazement
,
beaming
gratitude
,
succeeded
one
another
,
plain
as
light
,
in
Elizabeth
's
eyes
,
but
she
only
said
,
"
Thank
you
,
Miss
Hilary
.
"
"
Very
well
.
I
have
brought
you
an
old
gown
of
mine
,
and
was
going
to
show
you
how
to
make
it
up
for
yourself
,
but
I
'll
look
over
your
writing
instead
.
Sit
down
and
let
me
see
what
you
can
do
.
"
In
a
state
of
nervous
trepidation
,
pitiful
to
behold
,
Elizabeth
took
the
pen
.
Terrible
scratches
resulted
;
blots
innumerable
;
and
one
fatal
deluge
of
ink
,
which
startled
from
their
seats
both
mistress
and
maid
,
and
made
Hilary
thankful
that
she
had
taken
off
her
better
gown
for
a
common
one
,
as
,
with
sad
thriftiness
,
the
Misses
Leaf
always
did
of
evenings
.
When
Elizabeth
saw
the
mischief
she
had
done
,
her
contrition
and
humility
were
unbounded
.
"
No
,
Miss
Hilary
,
you
ca
n't
make
nothin
'
of
me
.
I
be
too
stupid
,
I
'll
give
it
up
.
"
"
Nonsense
!
"
And
the
bright
active
little
lady
looked
steadily
into
the
heavy
face
of
this
undeveloped
girl
,
half
child
,
half
woman
,
until
some
of
her
own
spirit
seemed
to
be
reflected
there
.
Whether
the
excitement
of
the
morning
had
roused
her
,
or
her
mistresses
'
kindness
had
touched
Elizabeth
's
heart
,
and
—
as
in
most
women
—
the
heart
was
the
key
to
the
intellect
;
or
whether
the
gradual
daily
influence
of
her
changed
life
during
the
last
month
had
been
taking
effect
,
now
for
the
first
time
to
appear
—
certain
it
is
that
Hilary
had
never
perceived
before
what
an
extremely
intelligent
face
it
was
;
what
good
sense
was
indicated
in
the
well
shaped
head
and
forehead
;
what
tenderness
and
feeling
in
the
deep-set
grey
eyes
.
"
Nonsense
,
"
repeated
she
.
"
Never
give
up
any
thing
;
I
never
would
.
We
'll
try
a
different
plan
,
and
begin
from
the
beginning
,
as
I
do
with
my
little
scholars
.
Wait
,
while
I
fetch
a
copy
book
out
of
the
parlor
press
.
"
She
highly
amused
her
sisters
with
a
description
of
what
she
called
her
"
newly
instituted
Polynesian
Academy
;
"
returned
,
and
set
to
work
to
guide
the
rough
,
coarse
hand
through
the
mysteries
of
calligraphy
.
To
say
this
was
an
easy
task
would
not
be
true
.
Nature
's
own
laws
and
limits
make
the
using
of
faculties
which
have
been
unused
for
generations
very
difficult
at
first
.
To
suppose
that
a
working
man
,
the
son
of
working
men
,
who
applies
himself
to
study
,
does
it
with
as
little
trouble
as
your
upper-class
children
,
who
have
been
unconsciously
undergoing
education
ever
since
the
cradle
,
is
a
great
mistake
.
All
honor
,
therefore
,
to
those
who
do
attempt
,
and
to
ever
so
small
a
degree
succeed
in
,
the
best
and
wisest
culture
of
all
,
self-culture
.
Of
this
honor
Elizabeth
deserved
her
share
.
"
She
is
stupid
enough
,
"
Hilary
confessed
,
after
the
lesson
was
over
;
"
but
there
is
a
dogged
perseverance
about
the
girl
which
I
actually
admire
.
She
blots
her
fingers
,
her
nose
,
her
apron
,
but
she
never
gives
in
;
and
she
sticks
to
the
grand
principle
of
one
thing
at
a
time
.
I
think
she
did
two
whole
pages
of
a
's
,
and
really
performed
them
satisfactorily
,
before
she
asked
to
go
on
to
b
's
.
Yes
!
I
believe
she
will
do
.
"
"
I
hope
she
will
do
her
work
,
any
how
,
"
said
Selina
,
breaking
into
the
conversation
rather
crossly
.
"
I
'm
sure
I
do
n't
see
the
good
of
wasting
time
over
teaching
Elizabeth
to
write
,
when
there
's
so
much
to
be
done
in
the
house
by
one
and
all
of
us
,
from
Monday
morning
till
Saturday
night
.
"
"
Ay
,
that
's
it
,
"
answered
Hilary
,
meditatively
.
"
I
do
n't
see
how
I
ever
shall
get
time
to
teach
her
,
and
she
is
so
tired
of
nights
when
the
work
is
all
done
;
she
'll
be
dropping
asleep
with
the
pen
in
her
hand
—
I
have
done
it
myself
before
now
.
"
Ay
,
in
those
days
when
,
trying
so
hard
to
"
improve
her
mind
,
"
and
make
herself
a
little
more
equal
and
companionable
to
another
mind
she
knew
,
she
had
,
after
her
daily
house
cares
and
her
six
hours
of
school
teaching
,
attempted
at
nine
P.
M
.
to
begin
close
study
on
her
own
account
.
And
though
with
her
strong
will
she
succeeded
tolerably
,
still
,
as
she
told
Johanna
,
she
could
well
understand
how
slow
was
the
,
"
march
of
intellect
"
(
a
phrase
which
had
just
then
come
up
)
among
day
laborers
and
the
like
;
and
how
difficult
it
was
for
these
Mechanics
Institutions
,
which
were
now
talked
so
much
of
,
to
put
any
new
ideas
into
the
poor
tired
heads
,
rendered
sluggish
and
stupid
with
hard
bodily
labor
,
"
Suppose
I
were
to
hold
my
Polynesian
Academy
on
a
Sunday
?
"
and
she
looked
inquiringly
at
her
sisters
,
especially
Johanna
.
Now
the
Misses
Leaf
were
old
fashioned
country
folk
,
who
lived
before
the
words
Sabbatarian
and
un-Sabbatarian
had
ever
got
into
the
English
language
.
They
simply
"
remembered
the
Sabbath
day
to
keep
it
holy
;
"
they
arranged
so
as
to
make
it
for
all
the
household
a
day
of
rest
:
and
they
went
regularly
to
church
once
—
sometimes
Selina
and
Hilary
went
twice
.
For
the
intervening
hours
,
their
usual
custom
was
to
take
an
afternoon
walk
in
the
fields
;
begun
chiefly
for
Ascott
's
sake
,
to
keep
the
lad
out
of
mischief
,
and
put
into
his
mind
better
thoughts
than
he
was
likely
to
get
from
his
favorite
Sunday
recreation
of
sitting
on
the
wall
throwing
stones
.
After
he
left
for
London
there
was
Elizabeth
to
be
thought
of
;
and
they
decided
that
the
best
Sabbath
duty
for
the
little
servant
was
to
go
and
see
her
mother
.
So
they
gave
her
every
Sunday
afternoon
free
;
only
requiring
that
she
should
be
at
home
punctually
after
church
time
,
at
eight
o'clock
.
But
from
thence
till
bedtime
was
a
blank
two
hours
,
which
,
Hilary
had
noticed
,
Elizabeth
not
infrequently
spent
in
dozing
over
the
fire
.
"
And
I
wonder
,
"
said
she
,
giving
the
end
of
her
long
meditation
out
loud
,
"
whether
going
to
sleep
is
not
as
much
Sabbath
breaking
as
learning
to
write
?
What
do
you
say
,
Johanna
?
"
Johanna
,
simple
,
God-fearing
woman
as
she
was
,
to
whom
faith
and
love
came
as
natural
as
the
breath
she
drew
,
had
never
perplexed
herself
with
the
question
.
She
only
smiled
acquiescence
.
But
Selina
was
greatly
shocked
.
Teaching
to
write
on
a
Sunday
!
Bringing
the
week
day
work
into
the
day
of
rest
!
Doing
one
's
own
pleasure
on
the
holy
day
!
She
thought
it
exceedingly
wrong
.
Such
a
thing
had
never
been
heard
of
in
their
house
.
Whatever
else
might
be
said
of
them
,
the
Leafs
were
always
a
respectable
family
as
to
keeping
Sunday
.
Nobody
could
say
that
even
poor
Henry
—
But
here
Selina
's
torrent
of
words
stopped
.
When
conversation
revived
,
Hilary
,
who
had
been
at
first
half
annoyed
and
half
amused
,
resumed
her
point
seriously
.
"
I
might
say
that
writing
is
n't
Elizabeth
's
week-day
work
,
and
that
teaching
her
is
not
exactly
doing
my
own
pleasure
;
but
I
wo
n't
creep
out
of
the
argument
by
a
quibble
.
The
question
is
,
What
is
keeping
the
Sabbath
day
'
holy
?
'
I
say
—
and
I
