The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-10-24

face, and could feel the mingled sur- prise and admiration in my sisters coun- teaance reflected in my own.
 We had had governesses of all sorts and sizes at Inglewood House, but this was the first time we had enlisted the ser vices of one who might have posed for public admiration as a professional beauty. She was so much too striking looking that slept little all that night thinking of it. was always more or less afraid of pretty pupil one never knew the complications that might be involved, and pretty governess was worse still. should never have engaged Mary had she been offered to me in the latter capacity I-I always told her so.
 If she shared my misgivings on the present occasion, she would not allow 1t, She was a great lover of beauty, and from that first night she took Madame Laure under her wing, and did all she could to help her in her work, and to prepossess me in her favor. was not predisposed in it, though l could have given no good reason for my own feeling. Her good looks worried me, l confess and being so handsome, 1 could have wished her older it was difficult to be- lieve that she reckoned anything like the thirty years she professed, but that was not all. She had, to my mind, neither method enough in her work nor interest enough in her pupils progress. Half her time she seemed to be wool gathering, and she did not appear to understand being found fault with. She was no, rude, and she did not retalia,e, but she had way of looking at me to which was not accustomed, and which made me uncomfortable. 1 am tall myself, but she was taller, and 1 never felt myself so much mistress with her as with her predecessors. liked to be looked up to
 in both senses by my governesses, and there was none of this looking up in the case of Mime. Laure, SO far as was con- cerned. 1t was to Mary-Mary, who never exacted any deference from any body-that she deferred.
 It was no matter of wonder to me that nay sister should attract love and venera- tion. There were generally three or four girls in the school who would have done anything, gone anywhere for her but the French governess was no girl, nor would she have struck one as so likely to pay homage as to expect it. 1t was not, imagine, so much the others kindness to her individually as the charm of her simple goodness. Whatever else mad anne might forget whatever duty she might neglect-she never forgot her little attentions to Miss Mary" However dull she might be looking, she had always smile ready for her. My sister must, felt, see it, and be touched by it; and, in spite of myself, a petty jealousy eh oc1 af aIIaA against the French woman. Mary ad- mlred her so much, and in mel became so foolish as that, who had never d. lowed my plain face to distress me he- toIe-there was nothing to admire.
 When one gives way to mean feeling of that sort, one never koows what 1t may lead enc into, and, conscious of it in my self tried to shut my eyes to sundry smaller things which were not to my taste in our new inmate.
 in the first place, she was not com monly neat in her dress. did not ex- pect her to present a fashionable ap- pearance, or even to have very good clothes, but her rusty black garments might surely have been a trihe less . short and scanty, and have had some sort of ptetence at fitting her. But for her beauty and her bearing she would not have been fit to be seen.
 "Cheap, rcady-made mourning, no doubt" Mary said with sigh. How grateful we ought to be that we can af- l ford to have things done properly and as we like!"
 1 was not recon,iled 10 it. however, and should have spoken to Madame Laure myself on the subj ect had she not asked ) me on tue first halt holiday to excuse her !, from accompanying the pupils to South kensington on that very account.
 She really had nothing to wear, she l said. Her black dresses had got so shabby and she had not dared to spend her little money until she was earning : more Might she have the afternoon to , herself to make some purchases
 was only glad to give her leave, though it necessitated my going with the girls . myself
 Mary, who had to stay at home. came up to the bedroom after me.
 |" suppose, dear, it would not do to let the poor thing have pound or t~o in advance, would 1t 2' she asked timidly. r " Certainly not" l replied promptly If she had wanted it, she could have asked for it. Besides, how do we know she does wart it? She had left herself something to fall back upon, ts judge fir, m what she said just now"
 , My sister made no further remark. She went to the wardrobe and got out my bonnet and cloak for me, but she did not wait, l remember, as she sometimes 7 would, to help me put them On, but went r through to the dressiog-room which was , more particularly her own. She had a ) little cabinet in there in which she kept her dress mopey-we were always most l particular to keep our private accounts ] apart from those of the school-and l 2 knew the click of the key in the lock quite well. It was idle to say anything , l knew that too.
 , By and by heard her rustling softly T down stairs, and before set ou, myself t l saw Madame Laure, waterproofed and ,.~sl~ zL. Ll II