THE 31st of January was a wild, tempestuous day: there was astrong north wind, with a continual storm of snow drifting on theground and whirling through the air. My friends would have had medelay my departure, but fearful of prejudicing my employers againstme by such want of punctuality at the commencement of myundertaking, I persisted in keeping the appointment.

I will not inflict upon my readers an account of my leaving home onthat dark winter morning: the fond farewells, the long, longjourney to O-, the solitary waitings in inns for coaches or trains- for there were some railways then - and, finally, the meeting atO- with Mr. Murray's servant, who had been sent with the phaeton todrive me from thence to Horton Lodge. I will just state that theheavy snow had thrown such impediments in the way of both horsesand steam-engines, that it was dark some hours before I reached myjourney's end, and that a most bewildering storm came on at last,which made the few miles' space between O- and Horton Lodge a longand formidable passage. I sat resigned, with the cold, sharp snowdrifting through my veil and filling my lap, seeing nothing, andwondering how the unfortunate horse and driver could make their wayeven as well as they did; and indeed it was but a toilsome,creeping style of progression, to say the best of it. At length wepaused; and, at the call of the driver, someone unlatched androlled back upon their creaking hinges what appeared to be the parkgates. Then we proceeded along a smoother road, whence,occasionally, I perceived some huge, hoary mass gleaming throughthe darkness, which I took to be a portion of a snow-clad tree.After a considerable time we paused again, before the statelyportico of a large house with long windows descending to theground.

I rose with some difficulty from under the superincumbentsnowdrift, and alighted from the carriage, expecting that a kindand hospitable reception would indemnify me for the toils andhardships of the day. A gentleman person in black opened the door,and admitted me into a spacious hall, lighted by an amber-colouredlamp suspended from the ceiling; he led me through this, along apassage, and opening the door of a back room, told me that was theschoolroom. I entered, and found two young ladies and two younggentlemen - my future pupils, I supposed. After a formal greeting,the elder girl, who was trifling over a piece of canvas and abasket of German wools, asked if I should like to go upstairs. Ireplied in the affirmative, of course.

'Matilda, take a candle, and show her her room,' said she.

Miss Matilda, a strapping hoyden of about fourteen, with a shortfrock and trousers, shrugged her shoulders and made a slightgrimace, but took a candle and proceeded before me up the backstairs (a long, steep, double flight), and through a long, narrowpassage, to a small but tolerably comfortable room. She then askedme if I would take some tea or coffee. I was about to answer No;but remembering that I had taken nothing since seven o'clock thatmorning, and feeling faint in consequence, I said I would take acup of tea. Saying she would tell 'Brown,' the young ladydeparted; and by the time I had divested myself of my heavy, wetcloak, shawl, bonnet, &c., a mincing damsel came to say the youngladies desired to know whether I would take my tea up there or inthe schoolroom. Under the plea of fatigue I chose to take itthere. She withdrew; and, after a while, returned again with asmall tea-tray, and placed it on the chest of drawers, which servedas a dressing-table. Having civilly thanked her, I asked at whattime I should be expected to rise in the morning.

'The young ladies and gentlemen breakfast at half-past eight,ma'am,' said she; 'they rise early; but, as they seldom do anylessons before breakfast, I should think it will do if you risesoon after seven.'

I desired her to be so kind as to call me at seven, and, promisingto do so, she withdrew. Then, having broken my long fast on a cupof tea and a little thin bread and butter, I sat down beside thesmall, smouldering fire, and amused myself with a hearty fit ofcrying; after which, I said my prayers, and then, feelingconsiderably relieved, began to prepare for bed. Finding that noneof my luggage was brought up, I instituted a search for the bell;and failing to discover any signs of such a convenience in anycorner of the room, I took my candle and ventured through the longpassage, and down the steep stairs, on a voyage of discovery.Meeting a well-dressed female on the way, I told her what I wanted;but not without considerable hesitation, as I was not quite surewhether it was one of the upper servants, or Mrs. Murray herself:it happened, however, to be the lady's-maid. With the air of oneconferring an unusual favour, she vouchsafed to undertake thesending up of my things; and when I had re-entered my room, andwaited and wondered a long time (greatly fearing that she hadforgotten or neglected to perform her promise, and doubting whetherto keep waiting or go to bed, or go down again), my hopes, atlength, were revived by the sound of voices and laughter,accompanied by the tramp of feet along the passage; and presentlythe luggage was brought in by a rough-looking maid and a man,neither of them very respectful in their demeanour to me. Havingshut the door upon their retiring footsteps, and unpacked a few ofmy things, I betook myself to rest; gladly enough, for I was wearyin body and mind.

It was with a strange feeling of desolation, mingled with a strongsense of the novelty of my situation, and a joyless kind ofcuriosity concerning what was yet unknown, that I awoke the nextmorning; feeling like one whirled away by enchantment, and suddenlydropped from the clouds into a remote and unknown land, widely andcompletely isolated from all he had ever seen or known before; orlike a thistle-seed borne on the wind to some strange nook ofuncongenial soil, where it must lie long enough before it can takeroot and germinate, extracting nourishment from what appears soalien to its nature: if, indeed, it ever can. But this gives noproper idea of my feelings at all; and no one that has not livedsuch a retired, stationary life as mine, can possibly imagine whatthey were: hardly even if he has known what it is to awake somemorning, and find himself in Port Nelson, in New Zealand, with aworld of waters between himself and all that knew him.

I shall not soon forget the peculiar feeling with which I raised myblind and looked out upon the unknown world: a wide, whitewilderness was all that met my gaze; a waste of

Deserts tossed in snow,And heavy laden groves.

I descended to the schoolroom with no remarkable eagerness to joinmy pupils, though not without some feeling of curiosity respectingwhat a further acquaintance would reveal. One thing, among othersof more obvious importance, I determined with myself - I must beginwith calling them Miss and Master. It seemed to me a chilling andunnatural piece of punctilio between the children of a family andtheir instructor and daily companion; especially where the formerwere in their early childhood, as at Wellwood House; but eventhere, my calling the little Bloomfields by their simple names hadbeen regarded as an offensive liberty: as their parents had takencare to show me, by carefully designating them MASTER and MISSBloomfield, &c., in speaking to me. I had been very slow to takethe hint, because the whole affair struck me as so very absurd; butnow I determined to be wiser, and begin at once with as much formand ceremony as any member of the family would be likely torequire: and, indeed, the children being so much older, therewould be less difficulty; though the little words Miss and Masterseemed to have a surprising effect in repressing all familiar,open-hearted kindness, and extinguishing every gleam of cordialitythat might arise between us.

As I cannot, like Dogberry, find it in my heart to bestow all mytediousness upon the reader, I will not go on to bore him with aminute detail of all the discoveries and proceedings of this andthe following day. No doubt he will be amply satisfied with aslight sketch of the different members of the family, and a generalview of the first year or two of my sojourn among them.

To begin with the head: Mr. Murray was, by all accounts, ablustering, roystering, country squire: a devoted fox-hunter, askilful horse-jockey and farrier, an active, practical farmer, anda hearty BON VIVANT. By all accounts, I say; for, except onSundays, when he went to church, I never saw him from month tomonth: unless, in crossing the hall or walking in the grounds, thefigure of a tall, stout gentleman, with scarlet cheeks and crimsonnose, happened to come across me; on which occasions, if he passednear enough to speak, an unceremonious nod, accompanied by a'Morning, Miss Grey,' or some such brief salutation, was usuallyvouchsafed. Frequently, indeed, his loud laugh reached me fromafar; and oftener still I heard him swearing and blasphemingagainst the footmen, groom, coachman, or some other haplessdependant.

Mrs. Murray was a handsome, dashing lady of forty, who certainlyrequired neither rouge nor padding to add to her charms; and whosechief enjoyments were, or seemed to be, in giving or frequentingparties, and in dressing at the very top of the fashion. I did notsee her till eleven o'clock on the morning after my arrival; whenshe honoured me with a visit, just as my mother might step into thekitchen to see a new servant-girl: yet not so, either, for mymother would have seen her immediately after her arrival, and notwaited till the next day; and, moreover, she would have addressedher in a more kind and friendly manner, and given her some words ofcomfort as well as a plain exposition of her duties; but Mrs.Murray did neither the one nor the other. She just stepped intothe schoolroom on her return from ordering dinner in thehousekeeper's room, bade me good-morning, stood for two minutes bythe fire, said a few words about the weather and the 'rather rough'journey I must have had yesterday; petted her youngest child - aboy of ten - who had just been wiping his mouth and hands on hergown, after indulging in some savoury morsel from the house-keeper's store; told me what a sweet, good boy he was; and thensailed out, with a self-complacent smile upon her face: thinking,no doubt, that she had done quite enough for the present, and hadbeen delightfully condescending into the bargain. Her childrenevidently held the same opinion, and I alone thought otherwise.

After this she looked in upon me once or twice, during the absenceof my pupils, to enlighten me concerning my duties towards them.For the girls she seemed anxious only to render them assuperficially attractive and showily accomplished as they couldpossibly be made, without present trouble or discomfort tothemselves; and I was to act accordingly - to study and strive toamuse and oblige, instruct, refine, and polish, with the leastpossible exertion on their part, and no exercise of authority onmine. With regard to the two boys, it was much the same; onlyinstead of accomplishments, I was to get the greatest possiblequantity of Latin grammar and Valpy's Delectus into their heads, inorder to fit them for school - the greatest possible quantity atleast WITHOUT trouble to themselves. John might be a 'little high-spirited,' and Charles might be a little 'nervous and tedious - '

'But at all events, Miss Grey,' said she, 'I hope YOU will keepyour temper, and be mild and patient throughout; especially withthe dear little Charles; he is so extremely nervous andsusceptible, and so utterly unaccustomed to anything but thetenderest treatment. You will excuse my naming these things toyou; for the fact is, I have hitherto found all the governesses,even the very best of them, faulty in this particular. They wantedthat meek and quiet spirit, which St. Matthew, or some of them,says is better than the putting on of apparel - you will know thepassage to which I allude, for you are a clergyman's daughter. ButI have no doubt you will give satisfaction in this respect as wellas the rest. And remember, on all occasions, when any of the youngpeople do anything improper, if persuasion and gentle remonstrancewill not do, let one of the others come and tell me; for I canspeak to them more plainly than it would be proper for you to do.And make them as happy as you can, Miss Grey, and I dare say youwill do very well.'

I observed that while Mrs. Murray was so extremely solicitous forthe comfort and happiness of her children, and continually talkingabout it, she never once mentioned mine; though they were at home,surrounded by friends, and I an alien among strangers; and I didnot yet know enough of the world, not to be considerably surprisedat this anomaly.

Miss Murray, otherwise Rosalie, was about sixteen when I came, anddecidedly a very pretty girl; and in two years longer, as time morecompletely developed her form and added grace to her carriage anddeportment, she became positively beautiful; and that in no commondegree. She was tall and slender, yet not thin; perfectly formed,exquisitely fair, though not without a brilliant, healthy bloom;her hair, which she wore in a profusion of long ringlets, was of avery light brown inclining to yellow; her eyes were pale blue, butso clear and bright that few would wish them darker; the rest ofher features were small, not quite regular, and not remarkablyotherwise: but altogether you could not hesitate to pronounce hera very lovely girl. I wish I could say as much for mind anddisposition as I can for her form and face.

Yet think not I have any dreadful disclosures to make: she waslively, light-hearted, and could be very agreeable, with those whodid not cross her will. Towards me, when I first came, she wascold and haughty, then insolent and overbearing; but, on a furtheracquaintance, she gradually laid aside her airs, and in time becameas deeply attached to me as it was possible for HER to be to one ofmy character and position: for she seldom lost sight, for abovehalf an hour at a time, of the fact of my being a hireling and apoor curate's daughter. And yet, upon the whole, I believe sherespected me more than she herself was aware of; because I was theonly person in the house who steadily professed good principles,habitually spoke the truth, and generally endeavoured to makeinclination bow to duty; and this I say, not, of course, incommendation of myself, but to show the unfortunate state of thefamily to which my services were, for the present, devoted. Therewas no member of it in whom I regretted this sad want of principleso much as Miss Murray herself; not only because she had taken afancy to me, but because there was so much of what was pleasant andprepossessing in herself, that, in spite of her failings, I reallyliked her - when she did not rouse my indignation, or ruffle mytemper by TOO great a display of her faults. These, however, Iwould fain persuade myself were rather the effect of her educationthan her disposition: she had never been perfectly taught thedistinction between right and wrong; she had, like her brothers andsisters, been suffered, from infancy, to tyrannize over nurses,governesses, and servants; she had not been taught to moderate herdesires, to control her temper or bridle her will, or to sacrificeher own pleasure for the good of others. Her temper beingnaturally good, she was never violent or morose, but from constantindulgence, and habitual scorn of reason, she was often testy andcapricious; her mind had never been cultivated: her intellect, atbest, was somewhat shallow; she possessed considerable vivacity,some quickness of perception, and some talent for music and theacquisition of languages, but till fifteen she had troubled herselfto acquire nothing; - then the love of display had roused herfaculties, and induced her to apply herself, but only to the moreshowy accomplishments. And when I came it was the same:everything was neglected but French, German, music, singing,dancing, fancy-work, and a little drawing - such drawing as mightproduce the greatest show with the smallest labour, and theprincipal parts of which were generally done by me. For music andsinging, besides my occasional instructions, she had the attendanceof the best master the country afforded; and in theseaccomplishments, as well as in dancing, she certainly attainedgreat proficiency. To music, indeed, she devoted too much of hertime, as, governess though I was, I frequently told her; but hermother thought that if SHE liked it, she COULD not give too muchtime to the acquisition of so attractive an art. Of fancy-work Iknew nothing but what I gathered from my pupil and my ownobservation; but no sooner was I initiated, than she made me usefulin twenty different ways: all the tedious parts of her work wereshifted on to my shoulders; such as stretching the frames,stitching in the canvas, sorting the wools and silks, putting inthe grounds, counting the stitches, rectifying mistakes, andfinishing the pieces she was tired of.

At sixteen, Miss Murray was something of a romp, yet not more sothan is natural and allowable for a girl of that age, but atseventeen, that propensity, like all other things, began to giveway to the ruling passion, and soon was swallowed up in the all-absorbing ambition to attract and dazzle the other sex. But enoughof her: now let us turn to her sister.

Miss Matilda Murray was a veritable hoyden, of whom little need besaid. She was about two years and a half younger than her sister;her features were larger, her complexion much darker. She mightpossibly make a handsome woman; but she was far too big-boned andawkward ever to be called a pretty girl, and at present she caredlittle about it. Rosalie knew all her charms, and thought themeven greater than they were, and valued them more highly than sheought to have done, had they been three times as great; Matildathought she was well enough, but cared little about the matter;still less did she care about the cultivation of her mind, and theacquisition of ornamental accomplishments. The manner in which shelearnt her lessons and practised her music was calculated to driveany governess to despair. Short and easy as her tasks were, ifdone at all, they were slurred over, at any time and in any way;but generally at the least convenient times, and in the way leastbeneficial to herself, and least satisfactory to me: the shorthalf-hour of practising was horribly strummed through; she,meantime, unsparingly abusing me, either for interrupting her withcorrections, or for not rectifying her mistakes before they weremade, or something equally unreasonable. Once or twice, I venturedto remonstrate with her seriously for such irrational conduct; buton each of those occasions, I received such reprehensiveexpostulations from her mother, as convinced me that, if I wishedto keep the situation, I must even let Miss Matilda go on in herown way.

When her lessons were over, however, her ill-humour was generallyover too: while riding her spirited pony, or romping with the dogsor her brothers and sister, but especially with her dear brotherJohn, she was as happy as a lark. As an animal, Matilda was allright, full of life, vigour, and activity; as an intelligent being,she was barbarously ignorant, indocile, careless and irrational;and, consequently, very distressing to one who had the task ofcultivating her understanding, reforming her manners, and aidingher to acquire those ornamental attainments which, unlike hersister, she despised as much as the rest. Her mother was partlyaware of her deficiencies, and gave me many a lecture as to how Ishould try to form her tastes, and endeavour to rouse and cherishher dormant vanity; and, by insinuating, skilful flattery, to winher attention to the desired objects - which I would not do; andhow I should prepare and smooth the path of learning till she couldglide along it without the least exertion to herself: which Icould not, for nothing can be taught to any purpose without somelittle exertion on the part of the learner.

As a moral agent, Matilda was reckless, headstrong, violent, andunamenable to reason. One proof of the deplorable state of hermind was, that from her father's example she had learned to swearlike a trooper. Her mother was greatly shocked at the 'unlady-liketrick,' and wondered 'how she had picked it up.' 'But you can soonbreak her of it, Miss Grey,' said she: 'it is only a habit; and ifyou will just gently remind her every time she does so, I am sureshe will soon lay it aside.' I not only 'gently reminded' her, Itried to impress upon her how wrong it was, and how distressing tothe ears of decent people: but all in vain: I was only answeredby a careless laugh, and, 'Oh, Miss Grey, how shocked you are! I'mso glad!' or, 'Well! I can't help it; papa shouldn't have taughtme: I learned it all from him; and maybe a bit from the coachman.'

Her brother John, ALIAS Master Murray, was about eleven when Icame: a fine, stout, healthy boy, frank and good-natured in themain, and might have been a decent lad had he been properlyeducated; but now he was as rough as a young bear, boisterous,unruly, unprincipled, untaught, unteachable - at least, for agoverness under his mother's eye. His masters at school might beable to manage him better - for to school he was sent, greatly tomy relief, in the course of a year; in a state, it is true, ofscandalous ignorance as to Latin, as well as the more useful thoughmore neglected things: and this, doubtless, would all be laid tothe account of his education having been entrusted to an ignorantfemale teacher, who had presumed to take in hand what she waswholly incompetent to perform. I was not delivered from hisbrother till full twelve months after, when he also was despatchedin the same state of disgraceful ignorance as the former.

Master Charles was his mother's peculiar darling. He was littlemore than a year younger than John, but much smaller, paler, andless active and robust; a pettish, cowardly, capricious, selfishlittle fellow, only active in doing mischief, and only clever ininventing falsehoods: not simply to hide his faults, but, in meremalicious wantonness, to bring odium upon others. In fact, MasterCharles was a very great nuisance to me: it was a trial ofpatience to live with him peaceably; to watch over him was worse;and to teach him, or pretend to teach him, was inconceivable. Atten years old, he could not read correctly the easiest line in thesimplest book; and as, according to his mother's principle, he wasto be told every word, before he had time to hesitate or examineits orthography, and never even to be informed, as a stimulant toexertion, that other boys were more forward than he, it is notsurprising that he made but little progress during the two years Ihad charge of his education. His minute portions of Latin grammar,&c., were to be repeated over to him, till he chose to say he knewthem, and then he was to be helped to say them; if he made mistakesin his little easy sums in arithmetic, they were to be shown him atonce, and the sum done for him, instead of his being left toexercise his faculties in finding them out himself; so that, ofcourse, he took no pains to avoid mistakes, but frequently set downhis figures at random, without any calculation at all.

I did not invariably confine myself to these rules: it was againstmy conscience to do so; but I seldom could venture to deviate fromthem in the slightest degree, without incurring the wrath of mylittle pupil, and subsequently of his mamma; to whom he wouldrelate my transgressions maliciously exaggerated, or adorned withembellishments of his own; and often, in consequence, was I on thepoint of losing or resigning my situation. But, for their sakes athome, I smothered my pride and suppressed my indignation, andmanaged to struggle on till my little tormentor was despatched toschool; his father declaring that home education was 'no go; forhim, it was plain; his mother spoiled him outrageously, and hisgoverness could make no hand of him at all.'

A few more observations about Horton Lodge and its ongoings, and Ihave done with dry description for the present. The house was avery respectable one; superior to Mr. Bloomfield's, both in age,size, and magnificence: the garden was not so tastefully laid out;but instead of the smooth-shaven lawn, the young trees guarded bypalings, the grove of upstart poplars, and the plantation of firs,there was a wide park, stocked with deer, and beautified by fineold trees. The surrounding country itself was pleasant, as far asfertile fields, flourishing trees, quiet green lanes, and smilinghedges with wild-flowers scattered along their banks, could makeit; but it was depressingly flat to one born and nurtured among therugged hills of -.

We were situated nearly two miles from the village church, and,consequently, the family carriage was put in requisition everySunday morning, and sometimes oftener. Mr. and Mrs. Murraygenerally thought it sufficient to show themselves at church oncein the course of the day; but frequently the children preferredgoing a second time to wandering about the grounds all the day withnothing to do. If some of my pupils chose to walk and take me withthem, it was well for me; for otherwise my position in the carriagewas to be crushed into the corner farthest from the open window,and with my back to the horses: a position which invariably mademe sick; and if I were not actually obliged to leave the church inthe middle of the service, my devotions were disturbed with afeeling of languor and sickliness, and the tormenting fear of itsbecoming worse: and a depressing headache was generally mycompanion throughout the day, which would otherwise have been oneof welcome rest, and holy, calm enjoyment.

'It's very odd, Miss Grey, that the carriage should always make yousick: it never makes ME,' remarked Miss Matilda,

'Nor me either,' said her sister; 'but I dare say it would, if Isat where she does - such a nasty, horrid place, Miss Grey; Iwonder how you can bear it!'

'I am obliged to bear it, since no choice is left me,' - I mighthave answered; but in tenderness for their feelings I only replied,- 'Oh! it is but a short way, and if I am not sick in church, Idon't mind it.'

If I were called upon to give a description of the usual divisionsand arrangements of the day, I should find it a very difficultmatter. I had all my meals in the schoolroom with my pupils, atsuch times as suited their fancy: sometimes they would ring fordinner before it was half cooked; sometimes they would keep itwaiting on the table for above an hour, and then be out of humourbecause the potatoes were cold, and the gravy covered with cakes ofsolid fat; sometimes they would have tea at four; frequently, theywould storm at the servants because it was not in precisely atfive; and when these orders were obeyed, by way of encouragement topunctuality, they would keep it on the table till seven or eight.

Their hours of study were managed in much the same way; my judgmentor convenience was never once consulted. Sometimes Matilda andJohn would determine 'to get all the plaguy business over beforebreakfast,' and send the maid to call me up at half-past five,without any scruple or apology; sometimes, I was told to be readyprecisely at six, and, having dressed in a hurry, came down to anempty room, and after waiting a long time in suspense, discoveredthat they had changed their minds, and were still in bed; or,perhaps, if it were a fine summer morning, Brown would come to tellme that the young ladies and gentlemen had taken a holiday, andwere gone out; and then I was kept waiting for breakfast till I wasalmost ready to faint: they having fortified themselves withsomething before they went.

Often they would do their lessons in the open air; which I hadnothing to say against: except that I frequently caught cold bysitting on the damp grass, or from exposure to the evening dew, orsome insidious draught, which seemed to have no injurious effect onthem. It was quite right that they should be hardy; yet, surely,they might have been taught some consideration for others who wereless so. But I must not blame them for what was, perhaps, my ownfault; for I never made any particular objections to sitting wherethey pleased; foolishly choosing to risk the consequences, ratherthan trouble them for my convenience. Their indecorous manner ofdoing their lessons was quite as remarkable as the capricedisplayed in their choice of time and place. While receiving myinstructions, or repeating what they had learned, they would loungeupon the sofa, lie on the rug, stretch, yawn, talk to each other,or look out of the window; whereas, I could not so much as stir thefire, or pick up the handkerchief I had dropped, without beingrebuked for inattention by one of my pupils, or told that 'mammawould not like me to be so careless.'

The servants, seeing in what little estimation the governess washeld by both parents and children, regulated their behaviour by thesame standard. I have frequently stood up for them, at the risk ofsome injury to myself, against the tyranny and injustice of theiryoung masters and mistresses; and I always endeavoured to give themas little trouble as possible: but they entirely neglected mycomfort, despised my requests, and slighted my directions. Allservants, I am convinced, would not have done so; but domestics ingeneral, being ignorant and little accustomed to reason andreflection, are too easily corrupted by the carelessness and badexample of those above them; and these, I think, were not of thebest order to begin with.

I sometimes felt myself degraded by the life I led, and ashamed ofsubmitting to so many indignities; and sometimes I thought myself afool for caring so much about them, and feared I must be sadlywanting in Christian humility, or that charity which 'sufferethlong and is kind, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,beareth all things, endureth all things.'

But, with time and patience, matters began to be slightlyameliorated: slowly, it is true, and almost imperceptibly; but Igot rid of my male pupils (that was no trifling advantage), and thegirls, as I intimated before concerning one of them, became alittle less insolent, and began to show some symptoms of esteem.'Miss Grey was a queer creature: she never flattered, and did notpraise them half enough; but whenever she did speak favourably ofthem, or anything belonging to them, they could be quite sure herapprobation was sincere. She was very obliging, quiet, andpeaceable in the main, but there were some things that put her outof temper: they did not much care for that, to be sure, but stillit was better to keep her in tune; as when she was in a good humourshe would talk to them, and be very agreeable and amusingsometimes, in her way; which was quite different to mamma's, butstill very well for a change. She had her own opinions on everysubject, and kept steadily to them - very tiresome opinions theyoften were; as she was always thinking of what was right and whatwas wrong, and had a strange reverence for matters connected withreligion, and an unaccountable liking to good people.'