imes think her
training made our manners too studied and artificial, but her system was
a reaction against the free-and-easy and often ungracious style which
was current in many other large schools of the day. After coffee, Mrs.
Marshall would ask for a little music, and we were obliged to take it in
turns to play, the lot falling to each girl about once a month. How I
hated the pieces which I solemnly practised for these weekly evenings,
and in what an agony of nervousness my trembling fingers stumbled
through the performance! If I could have bidden the company leave the
room, I think I might have acquitted myself better, but to discourse
sweet strains with Mrs. Marshall's eye upon me, my music-mistress
sitting close by, and an audience of critical school-mates listening,
was an ordeal from which many a girl might shrink. The programme was
varied by a few songs and recitations, and at half past-eight we all
filed out, each in her turn saying good-bye, and thanking Mrs. Marshall
for a pleasant evening, a courtesy which I always felt to be most
insincere, since I was sure that neither she nor ourselves had enjoyed
it in the least.

At the end of the term a large conversazione was held, to which many
friends interested in the school were invited, and when we were expected
to put into practice those lessons in manners and deportment which were
drilled into us during the Saturday evening "At Homes". We tried our
honest best to be pleasant little hostesses, and the visitors were
indulgent, but I often think we must have afforded them much amusement
by our "improving conversation".

"It always makes me feel so bad, I want to scream, or do something
outlandishly improper," said Janet. "Mrs. Marshall set me to talk to old
Canon Wavertree, and I simply longed to ask him if his waistcoat
buttoned at the back, and whether he could fasten the middle button
himself, and how he managed to shave into the creases of such a very
double chin. Instead of that, I had to look polite and proper while he
talked about butter-making. It was such an absurd subject for him to
choose, and the worst of it was I thought he said 'batter', instead of
'butter', and so we got completely at cross purposes. I declared we
always put eggs in it at home, and he seemed to think I was half an
idiot!"

"I got on much better," said Lucy. "I had to talk to Mrs. Graveson, and
by sheer good luck she began on church work. You remember it was the
'topic' we had t