The Getting of Wisdom

be back-that was the first point: just as an adventurous sheep is glad to regain the cover of the flock. Learning might be hard; the governesses m

at in which she said she would rather not go to Godmother's again in the meantime. But there was such a lack of w

L. AND I HOPE WHEN YOU GROW UP YOU'LL BE AS MUCH OF A HELP TO ME AS MARINA IS TO HER MOTHER. I'D MUCH RATHER HAVE YOU GOOD AND USEFUL THAN CLEVER AND I THINK FOR A CHILD OF YOUR AGE YOU SEE

, for instance, Laura confessed that her teachers did not regard her as even passably intelligent, there would be a nice to-do. Mother's ambitions knew no bounds; and, wounded in these, she was quite capable of writing post-haste to Mrs. Gurley or Mr. Strachey, complaining of their want of insight, and bringing forward a

couple of pieces of go

-fisted, thick of leg, and of a plodding but ineffectual industry. Inez, on the other hand, was so pretty that Laura never tired of looking at her: she had a pale skin, hazel eyes, brown hair with a yellow light in it, and a Greek nose. Her mouth was

ghts to each other; hence the friendship did not advance to intimacy. But such as it was, it was very comforting; she no longer needed to sit alone in recess; she could link arms and wa

class. And so Laura, who was still, in her young confusion, unequal to discovering what was wanted of her, grew comforted by the presence and support of her frie

good luck was of qui

really bit. She bore Inez a peculiar grudge; for she believed that certain faculties slum

patience with thi

ntrate your thoughts, and, worst of all, you've no curiosity-about anything that really matters. You take all the great facts of existence on trust-just as a hen does-and I've no

k home. Had Miss Hicks set out to describe HER, in particular, she could not have done it more accurately. It was but too true: until now, she, Laura, had been satisfied to know things in a slipslop, razzle-dazzle way, to know them anyhow, as it best suited herself. She had never set to work to master a subject, to make it her own in every detail. Bits of it, picturesque scraps, striking features-what Miss Hicks no doubt meant by the personal-were all that had attracted her.-Oh, and she, too, had no intelligent curiosity. She could not say that she had ever teased her brains with wondering why the earth went round the sun and not the sun ro

than in the fact that, when Nelly Bristow spoke, little bubbles came out of her mouth, and that she needed to swallow twice as often as other people; or that when Miss Hicks grew angry her voice had a way of failing, at the crucial moment, and flattening out to nothing-just as if one struck tin after brass. No, it was indeed difficult for Laura to invert the value of these things.-In another direction she did better. By dint of close attention, of pondering both the questions asked by Miss Hicks, and the replies made by the cleverest pupils, she began to see more clearly where

y, and to her joy learning by heart came easy to her-as easy as to the most brilliant scholars in the form. From now on she gave this talent full play, memorising even pages of the history book

in her class-fortunes, could counterbalance Laura's luckless knack of putting her foot in i

ith a thrill, had even enjoyed writing, in her best hand, the prescribed formula of acceptance. But she was alone in this; by the majority of her companions these weekly parties were frankly hated, the chief reaso

ith Gordon, as she lathered her thick white arms and neck bef

c, she followed the rest of the white dresses into the passage. The senior girl ta

ng, drooping moustache. There was little need for him to assume the frigid contemptuousness of Mrs. Gurley's manner: his mere presence, the very unseeingness of his gaze, in

will, the crippling fear that governed their relations with the Principal. To them, his amiability resembled the antics of an uncertain-tempered elephant, with which you could never feel safe.- Besides on this occas

the top shelf were many outlandish objects. What an evening it would have been had Mr. Strachey invited them to examine these ornaments, or to handle the books, instead of having to pick up a title here and there by chance.-From the shelves, her eyes strayed to the pictures on the walls; one, in particular struck her fancy. It hung over the mantelpiece, and was a man's head seen in profile, with a long hooked nos

as welcomed by Mrs. Strachey, and Lilith went to the piano. But her nervousne

lt, is it not, to accompany oneself?" she said kin

ne m

you know

ly admitted the knowled

ould play it," she said; and colo

thin little girl. "Do you know it, dear

ut I could play it from

elieving, especially

rder things than tha

aid Mrs. Strachey, with the ingr

iano, where she conducted th

ry nice indeed." And to Laura: "Di

ver saw i

l. "Well, perhaps you would p

ere long enough to cover the octave. She took the volume of Thalberg

rid ornaments had a shameless sound. Her performance, moreover, was a startling one; the forte pedal was held down throughout; the big chords were crashed and banged with all the strength a p

veral girls were very red, from trying not to laugh. The

Strachey said undecidedly: "Thank you, dear

he answered. "I wouldn't care to play the thi

ed her. "Oh, I hope you will soon get to like classical music also," said th

G WITH VARIATIONS? I'm afraid I ne

, with what she believed to be ease of manner: "Mr. Strachey, will you please tell me what that picture is hanging over the mantelpi

om his astonishment. He stroked hard, and t

e face," continued the chil

iberation: "that is the portrait, by a grea

e. "Oh, yes, of course, I know now. He wrote a book, didn't he, c

nged his seat, and Laura's thirst

ance of anything being amiss, till the next morn

r, of sponging them in cold water and bravely joining her friends, Laura was still foolish enough to hide and have her cry out. So that when the

d Mrs. Strachey with Thalberg's music, and that all the pieces she had brought with her from home would now be taken from her. Secondly, Mr. Strache

m, so much the worse for them. But the reproach cast on her manners stung her even more deeply than it had done when

irst place, no doubt, by Lilith Gordon, who bore her a grudge for her offer to accompany the song: had Laura not put herself forward in this objectionable way, Lilith might have escaped singing altogether. Lilith also resented her having shown that she could d

expected to know without telling. Hence, she never more than half understood what she had done. She only saw disapproval painted on faces that had hitherto been neutral, and f