ime Reine was greatly delighted with the drawing.

"The girl is really a little genius," she said; "will you not allow me
to make her acquaintance?"

"I will ask mamma to invite her to the drawing-room some evening," said
Nell. "Mother does not like her to come often, for fear of spoiling her.
Phyllis has an idea that Hetty needs a great deal of keeping down; but I
think it is only because Phyllis is so good herself that she thinks so
badly of Hetty."

Reine laughed, and a look of fun remained in her eyes a few moments
after this naive speech of Nell's. The peculiarities of Phyllis's style
of goodness had not escaped Miss Gaythorne's quick intelligence.

"And mother minds what Phyllis thinks a great deal more than she minds
me; because Phyllis is so wise, and never gives her any trouble."

The next morning at breakfast Reine said:

"Do you know, Mr. Enderby, little Miss Gray has made me such a beautiful
drawing. She has a great talent. I can't help wishing you would let her
be an artist."

"Has she been enlisting you against me?" said Mr. Enderby, with half a
smile and half a frown.

"I have never even seen her," said Reine; "but I am greatly struck with
her work."

"It is clever," assented the master of Wavertree; "but pray do not
arouse foolish ideas in the child's head--ideas which have been
fortunately laid to rest. I have great faith in the old warning, 'Beware
of the man of one book'; and I think Hetty will do better to stick to
what she has begun with. Under Miss Davis she has excellent
opportunities of becoming fitted to be a governess, which, after all, is
the safest career for a friendless woman. She lives in a respectable
home and is saved from many dangers. I do not hold with the new-fangled
notion of letting girls run about the world picking up professions."

And then Mr. Enderby deliberately changed the conversation.

However, Reine could not forget the little artist; and that evening,
being dressed for dinner rather early, she suddenly bethought her of
making her way uninvited to the school-room.

"I really must see her and thank her," she reflected; "and I will ask
pardon of Mrs. Enderby afterwards for the liberty." And then she set out
to look for the school-room.

It happened that Hetty was sitting all alone at the school-room table;
her chin in her hand, her eyes fixed on the pages of a book. A window
behind her, framing golden sky and deep-coloured foliage, made her the
foreground fig