Forrester, finding that Lorraine showed such a
suddenly awakened interest in art, arranged for her to take a course of
painting lessons from Miss Lindsay, and she trotted off every Saturday
morning to the studio by the harbour.

The drawing classes at The Gables had been the only weak spot in an
otherwise excellent scheme of education, so Lorraine simply revelled in
her new lessons. She had genuine talent, and was quick in catching up
ideas. The artistic atmosphere exactly suited her. So far she had lacked
inspiration in her life. She had never been able to feel the enthusiasm
which Rosemary threw into music, and though she worked steadily at
school, the prospect of college, dangled sometimes by Miss Kingsley,
rather repelled than tempted her. She had drifted aimlessly along,
without any specially strong tastes or ambitions, till this fresh,
wonderful, fascinating world of art suddenly rose up and claimed her for
its own. It was a delirious sensation, and very stimulating. She could
sympathize now with Rosemary's keenness for the College of Music.
Perhaps--who knew?--some day she might prevail on Father to let her go
away to London and study painting. The bigness of such a prospect took
her breath away.

There could not have been a better pilot in these untried waters than
Margaret Lindsay. She proved a veritable fairy godmother, not in
painting alone, but in other matters as well. Lorraine had reached that
stage of girlhood when she badly needed a new impulse and a different
mental atmosphere. It is so difficult sometimes for parents to realize
that their children are growing up, and require treating from a revised
standpoint. Unconsciously, and out of sheer custom, they rule them _de
haut en bas_, and then wonder why the little confidences of the budding
womanhood are given instead to sisters or friends.

Though she was old enough in some ways, in others Miss Lindsay was that
most delightful of persons, "a chronic child". On occasion she could
seem as young as, or even younger than, Lorraine, and enjoyed herself
like a veritable schoolgirl. The two had royal times together, painting
in the studio, making tea by the wood fire, rambling on the cliffs, or
wandering through the picturesque fishermen's quarter of the town, a
hitherto almost unexplored territory to Lorraine. Under her friend's
leadership she began to take up various side branches of art; she
dabbled in gesso, relief stamping, leather embossing, stencillin