Miss Rachel told me, whether she can bear
the sight of the process. I imagine Miss Rachel herself has tried it,
and failed."

"Part amateur work," said Ermine, smiling. "It really is lucky you
had to turn governess, Ailie, or there would have been a talent thrown
away."

"Stay till I have tried," said Alison, who had, however, had experience
enough not to be much alarmed at the prospect. Order was wont to come
with her presence, and she hardly knew the aspect of tumultuous idleness
or insubordination to unenforced authority; for her eye and voice in
themselves brought cheerful discipline without constraint, and upheld
by few punishments, for the strong influence took away the spirit of
rebellion.

After her first morning's work she came home full of good auguries; the
boys had been very pleasant with her after the first ten minutes, and
Conrade had gained her heart by his attention to his mother. He had,
however, examined her minutely whether she had any connexion with
the army, and looked grave on her disavowal of any relationship with
soldiers; Hubert adding, "You see, Aunt Rachel is only a civilian, and
she hasn't any sense at all." And when Francis had been reduced to the
much disliked process of spelling unknown words, he had muttered under
his breath, "She was only a civilian." To which she had rejoined
that "At least she knew thus much, that the first military duty was
obedience," and Francis's instant submission proved that she had made a
good shot. Of the Major she had heard much more. Everything was referred
to him, both by mother and children, and Alison was the more puzzled as
to his exact connexion with them. "I sometimes suspect," she said, "that
he may have felt the influence of those winsome brown eyes and caressing
manner, as I know I should if I were a man. I wonder how long the old
general has been dead? No, Ermine, you need not shake your head at me.
I don't mean even to let Miss Curtis tell me if she would. I know
confidences from partisan relations are the most mischief-making things
in the world."

In pursuance of this principle Alison, or Miss Williams, as she was
called in her vocation, was always reserved and discreet, and though
ready to talk in due measure, Rachel always felt that it was the upper,
not the under current that was proffered. The brow and eyes, the whole
spirit of the face, betokened reflection and acuteness, and Rachel
wanted to attain to her opinions; but beyond a certai