for you. She
again offers to help you, and, Jasmine, dear, I think the time has
come when you must accept her help."

Jasmine smiled, and flushed brightly.

"I do not mind," she said; "I mean I do not mind as Primrose minds,
but I know, I fear that it will go very hard with Primrose."

"It is often very hard to do right, Jasmine," said Miss Egerton, "and
I can quite believe that Primrose will find it difficult to accede to
our plan. At the same time I feel convinced that although she will
have a great struggle, in the end she will yield to it. This is like
the 'Hill Difficulty' to Primrose, but she is not the sort of girl to
turn away from it without conquering its steepness and its toils.
Jasmine, dear, you three have tried bravely to help yourselves, and
you have--yes, I must say it, dear--you have failed. Primrose cannot
spend her life as continual reader to Mrs. Mortlock; you see now, my
dear little girl, that you are much too young to earn anything by your
pen, and little Daisy--ah! Jasmine, how thankful we ought to be that
we have our little Daisy still with us--but Daisy must never again
have her peace of mind so seriously imperilled. Jasmine, you three
girls want two things--you want education, and you want protection.
You want to be thoroughly educated, first of all, in those general
matters which all cultivated women ought to know about; and secondly,
in the special matter which each of you has a taste for. That special
taste or talent ought to be developed to the very uttermost, so that
bye-and-bye each of you girls can take up a profession and earn her
living usefully to others, and with ease and comfort to herself. If
Primrose feels that she can after a time paint very exquisitely and
very beautifully on porcelain, she ought to be apprenticed to one of
the best houses, and there properly learn her trade; and you, Jasmine,
whether you eventually earn your bread by writing beautiful stories,
or lovely poems, or whether the artist within you develops into a love
for making painted pictures instead of word pictures, you must for
many years to come be taught to think and have your little mind and
vivid imagination fed on the wise and great thoughts of others.
Daisy's future we none of us can talk about, but I have no doubt she
also has her special gift.

"Now, Jasmine, what a long, long lecture I am giving you, only the sum
and substance of it all is, dear, that I want to protect you, and Mrs.
Ellsworthy i