lt, of course; but when I can smile at all when I remember her, you
must see for yourself that there is a great deal that is very far from
good in me. But there, now, I want to talk about Miss Frost."

"Now, why?" said Irene. "That horror! That dreadful stick-in-the-mud!
Oh, she is detestable! I cannot tell you how I loathe her."

"You do, because you don't understand her."

"And pray do you?"

"I understand her more than you do; and in any case I could not be cruel
to her."

"But she is so old, and so ugly."

"I thought you didn't mind about people's appearance. You said so a
minute ago."

"Well, I didn't; but it seems to me that you have opened my eyes. If I
am so beautiful I ought to be with beautiful people, like you, Rosamund;
for, now I come to look at you, you are very beautiful."

"It is by no means necessary that you should be with beautiful people;
but you should give pleasure to people who are not beautiful, because
they would like to look at you, and hear your voice, and be refreshed by
your kind actions."

"Good gracious me! Kind actions!" said Irene.

"In future I believe they will be kind. Now, please understand you have
been exceedingly cruel to Miss Frost."

"I want her to go."

"She is not going."

"How do you know? I did think those wood-lice would finish her. I
thought and thought, and the happy idea came to me this morning. I was
quite certain she'd give notice, just as Carter did. They could take her
on at the Merrimans'. It seems to me that my governesses always find a
berth near, so as to spread the fame of my dreadful character."

"Well, she is not going. She can't go. She has a little brother and
sister, and she has got to provide for them."

"What do you mean by that?"

"She has got to feed and clothe them, and to put them to school, and do
everything for them. If she left your mother's house she would have no
money, and might find it difficult to get another post. So she is not
going. I asked her to stay, and she is going to teach me as well as
you."

"Dear me!"

"Yes; and we are going to make it exceedingly interesting. I mean you to
learn a lot. I assure you, if I come here and give up the next few
months of my life to you, I don't mean to do nothing in the time. I want
to work hard, and you will have to work hard too. I am not bound to stay
with you for a single hour. The moment your pranks begin, the moment I
hear of any more toads being put into the bread-pan, or