r Julia," wrote Mr. Anstruther by the very next post, "Margaret
requires no amusement of any sort whatever. I particularly wish her to
make no friends and to pay no visits. You will find her obedient and
quiet, respectful towards her elders, to whose opinion she has been
taught to defer implicitly on every point. You, I think, were among those
who remonstrated with me when fourteen years ago I sketched to you the
lines on which I intended to bring up my granddaughter. When you see the
result of my training, however, you will admit that your remonstrances
were misplaced. I will not, however, disguise from you that during the
last few days her conduct has not been altogether satisfactory, but
suspecting that a grave act of disobedience of which she had been guilty
arose from the fact that she was not quite in her usual health, I called
in a doctor, and he confirmed me in this opinion and recommended change
of air. Of course, you are aware that when Margaret comes of age or when
she marries, if she marries before she is twenty-one, she inherits a
fortune of about L2,000 a year. Her mother inherited nearly double this
sum, but she and her husband--she married her second cousin and did not
change her name--between them reduced the capital by considerably more
than half. But I have brought Margaret up in utter ignorance of the fact
that she is an heiress, and have always taken pains to prevent her from
coming into contact with any one who might inform her of it. And this I
have done to guard her from being married merely for the sake of her
money. Let her lead while with you the same simple life that she has led
hitherto. Make her study for five or six hours daily and spend the rest
of the time in your lovely garden. If she goes out for walks, which seems
to me unnecessary, for she can surely take all the exercise needful to
her health in your garden, pray see that she is attended by a maid whom
you can trust. I also particularly wish her to take up the study of a new
language. It will give her something definite to work at, and will drive
from her thoughts sundry silly fancies and whims to which of late she has
given way. She already talks French and German very well indeed, thanks
to a most painstaking governess who has helped me to bring her up, and
now she might with advantage take up Italian. You are so close to
Seabourne, which place is, I know, a great educational centre, that you
will have no difficulty in getting teache