and be the village schoolmistress. Loving all that was beautiful
and refined in life, she had learned to dread, from another motive than
pride, the fate of being thrown upon a lower social level. And yet this
was a fate which seemed now to stare her in the face.

Mr. Enderby, who had of late taken a personal interest in her studies,
examining her from time to time on various subjects, said to her:

"My little girl, if you do not wake up and work harder I fear you will
have to take an inferior position in life to that which I desired for
you."

Poor Hetty! Was she not wide awake? So wide awake that when he and all
the household were asleep she lay staring her misfortune in the face.
And how could she work harder than she did, weeping in secret over the
dry facts that would not leave their mark upon her brain? Thus it was
that life looked dreary to her, and her face was grave and pale. Phyllis
and Nell, who were three and two years older than herself, had begun to
talk of the joys which the magic age of eighteen had in store for them.
They would leave off study and go forth into the enjoyment of their
youth in a flattering world. Idleness, pleasure, happiness awaited them.
No one could say they were not sufficiently well educated to take that
graceful place in life which Providence had assigned to them; Hetty was
rebuked for being less learned than she ought to be, because for her
there was no graceful place prepared; only a difficult and narrow path
leading away she knew not where.

Of the difference between their position and hers she could not help
thinking, but she had been so long accustomed to realize it that she did
not dwell upon it much. Miss Davis was the person on whom her eyes were
fixed as an image of what she ought to hope to become.

To be exactly like Miss Davis. To look like her, think like her, be as
well informed, as independent, as much respected; to teach as well,
speak as wisely, be called an admirable woman who had fought her own way
against poverty in the world, this was what Hetty had been assured by
Mr. and Mrs. Enderby ought to be the object of her ambition and the end
of all her hopes. And Hetty tried honestly to will as they willed for
her good. But her face was not less sad on that account.

Things were in this state when one day, a day never to be forgotten by
her, Hetty was feeling more than usually unhappy. Only the evening
before Mr. Enderby had examined her on several subjects, and