oon been attracted to Elizabeth;
and knowing her history, she tried very often to help her, and put her
in the right way of doing things. At first she found her rather short
and unapproachable, and could get nothing but "yes" or "no" from her;
and there was something almost offensive in the brusque way in which she
would turn with an impatient flush from her mentor when she sometimes
didn't understand what was meant, and would do the thing in her own way.
She wouldn't see at first the various little good turns which the other
did her in her quiet, considerate way; but they were acknowledged at
last with a look that made amends for all her former obtuseness; and in
spite of their different natures and unequal social position, these two
women soon came to feel, if not exactly drawn to one another, mutually
interested in each other. At the same time, as Elizabeth was not blind
to the diplomacy of the house, she had soon perceived that of all the
young ladies who came there, Marie Forstberg was the one who had the
best chance, and who indeed best deserved to be the young lieutenant's
bride; and although she tried to believe that she was merely a resigned
looker-on herself, she seemed to feel every Sunday, when Marie Forstberg
came, that a certain disagreeable impression had grown up in her mind
about her during the week which it took some time to thaw. When it did
thaw, however, which in time it always did, she would feel attracted to
her with redoubled warmth; and though their conversation might be
ostensibly occupied only with such subjects as laying the table or
dishing the dinner, she would contrive to introduce into it anything and
everything concerning the lieutenant which she thought might interest or
recommend him to her friend. Marie Forstberg couldn't help sometimes
fixing her clear blue eyes searchingly upon her, to ascertain if there
was not some object underlying this communicativeness; but Elizabeth
would look so unconscious, as she stood there with her sleeves tucked
up, busy with her work, that she dismissed the idea from her mind.

In this country life, although without a moment to call her own,
Elizabeth felt freer at all events than she had done in the town; and
she had made such rapid progress under Madam Beck's tuition, that the
latter's supervision was in many things no longer required. One part in
particular, the one which she might have been expected to find the most
difficult of all--that of parlour-