rd that he is to stay about six weeks
more, and people must be put out of their misery before that. Will you
copy a few for me? Here is some paper with the office stamp."

"What an important woman you are, Ermine."

"If you had been in England all this time, you would see how easy
the step is into literary work; but you must not betray this for the
'Traveller's' sake or Ailie's."

"Your writing is not very womanish," said the colonel, as she gave him
his task. "Or is this yours? It is not like that of those verses on
Malvern hills that you copied out for me, the only thing you ever gave
me."

"I hope it is more to the purpose than it was then, and it has had to
learn to write in all sorts of attitudes."

"What's this?" as he went on with the paper; "your manuscript entitled
'Curatocult.' Is that the word? I had taken it for the produce of Miss
Curtis's unassisted genius."

"Have you heard her use it!" said Ermine, disconcerted, having by no
means intended to betray Rachel.

"Oh yes! I heard her declaiming on Sunday about what she knows no more
about than Conrade! A detestable, pragmatical, domineering girl! I am
thankful that I advised Lady Temple only to take the house for a
year. It was right she should see her relations, but she must not be
tyrannized over."

"I don't believe she dislikes it."

"She dislikes no one! She used to profess a liking for a huge
Irishwoman, whose husband had risen from the ranks; the most tremendous
woman I ever saw, except Miss Curtis."

"You know they were brought up together like sisters."

"All the worse, for she has the habit of passive submission. If it were
the mother it would be all right, and I should be thankful to see her in
good keeping, but the mother and sister go for nothing, and down comes
this girl to battle every suggestion with principles picked up from
every catchpenny periodical, things she does not half understand, and
enunciates as if no one had even heard of them before."

"I believe she seldom meets any one who has. I mean to whom they are
matters of thought. I really do like her vigour and earnestness."

"Don't say so, Ermine! One reason why she is so intolerable to me is
that she is a grotesque caricature of what you used to be."

"You have hit it! I see why I always liked her, besides that it is
pleasant to have any sort of visit, and a good scrimmage is refreshing;
she is just what I should have been without papa and Edward to keep me
down, and