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〃She works a great deal worse than little Blanche；〃 said Miss Winter；
〃and though it may not be the fashion to say so in these days； I
consider good needlework far more important than accomplishments。
Well； then； Margaret； I should wish you only just to look at her
writing。〃
And Miss Winter opened a French exercise…book； certainly containing
anything but elegant specimens of penmanship。 Ethel's best writing
was an upright； disjointed niggle； looking more like Greek than
anything else； except where here and there it made insane efforts to
become running…hand； and thereby lost its sole previous good quality
of legibility； while the lines waved about the sheet in almost any
direction but the horizontal。 The necessity she believed herself
under of doing what Harry called writing with the end of her nose；
and her always holding her pen with her fingers almost in the ink；
added considerably to the difficulty of the performance。 This being
at her best； the worst may be supposed to be indescribable； when
dashed off in a violent hurry； and considerably garnished with blots。
Margaret thought she had seen the worst； and was sighing at being
able to say nothing for it； when Miss Winter confounded her by
turning a leaf； and showing it was possible to make a still wilder
combination of scramble； niggle； scratch； and crookednessand this
was supposed to be an amended edition！ Miss Winter explained that
Ethel had； in an extremely short time； performed an exercise in which
no fault could be detected except the writing； which was pronounced
to be too atrocious to be shown up to M。 Ballompre。 On being desired
to write it over again； she had obeyed with a very bad grace； and
some murmurs about Cocksmoor； and produced the second specimen；
which； in addition to other defects； had some elisions from arrant
carelessness； depriving it of its predecessor's merits of being good
French。
Miss Winter had been so provoked that she believed this to be an
effect of ill temper； and declared that she should certainly have
kept Ethel at home to write it over again； if it had not so happened
that Dr。 May had proposed to walk part of the way with her and
Richard； and the governess was unwilling to bring her into disgrace
with him。 Margaret was so grateful to her for this forbearance； that
it disposed her to listen the more patiently to the same
representations put in； what Miss Winter fancied； different forms。
Margaret was much perplexed。 She could not but see much truth in
what Miss Winter said； and yet she could not bear to thwart Ethel；
whom she admired with her whole heart； and that dry experience； and
prejudiced preciseness； did not seem capable of entering into her
sister's thirst for learning and action。 When Miss Winter said Ethel
would grow up odd； eccentric； and blue； Margaret was ready to answer
that she would be superior to every one； and when the governess urged
her to insist on Cocksmoor being given up； she felt impatient of that
utter want of sympathy for the good work。
All that evening Margaret longed for a quiet time to reflect； but it
never came till she was in bed； and when she had made up her mind how
to speak to Ethel； it was five times harder to secure her alone。
Even when Margaret had her in the room by herself； she looked wild
and eager； and said she could not stay； she had some Thucydides to
do。
〃Won't you stay with me a little while； quietly？〃 said Margaret； 〃we
hardly ever have one of our talks。〃
〃I didn't mean to vex you； dear Margaret； I like nothing so well；
only we are never alone； and I've no time。〃
〃Pray do spare me a minute； Ethel； for I have something that I must
say to you； and I am afraid you won't like itso do listen kindly。〃
〃Oh！〃 said Ethel； 〃Miss Winter has been talking to you。 I know she
said she would tell you that she wants me to give up Cocksmoor。 You
aren't dreaming of it； Margaret？〃
〃Indeed； dear Ethel； I should be very sorry； but one thing I am sure
of； that there is something amiss in your way of going on。〃
〃Did she show you that horrid exercise？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Well； I know it was baddish writing； but just listen； Margaret。 We
promised six of the children to print them each a verse of a hymn on
a card to learn。 Ritchie did three； and then could not go on； for
the book that the others were in was lost till last evening； and then
he was writing for papa。 So I thought I would do them before we went
to Cocksmoor； and that I should squeeze time out of the morning； but
I got a bit of Sophocles that was so horridly hard it ate up all my
time； and I don't understand it properly now； I must get Norman to
tell me。 And that ran in my head and made me make a mistake in my
sum； and have to begin it again。 Then； just as I thought I had saved
time over the exercise； comes Miss Winter and tells me I must do it
over again； and scolds me besides about the ink on my fingers。 She
would send me up at once to get it off； and I could not find nurse
and her bottle of stuff for it； so that wasted ever so much more
time； and I was so vexed that； really and truly； my hand shook and I
could not write any better。〃
〃No； I thought it looked as if you had been in one of your agonies。〃
〃And she thought I did it on purpose； and that made me angry； and so
we got into a dispute； and away went all the little moment I might
have had； and I was forced to go to Cocksmoor as a promise breaker！〃
〃Don't you think you had better have taken pains at first？〃
〃Well； so I did with the sense； but I hadn't time to look at the
writing much。〃
〃You would have made better speed if you had。〃
〃Oh； yes； I know I was wrong； but it is a great plague altogether。
Really； Margaret； I shan't get Thucydides done。〃
〃You must wait a little longer； please； Ethel； for I want to say to
you that I am afraid you are doing too much； and that prevents you
from doing things well； as you were trying to do last autumn。〃
〃You are not thinking of my not going to Cocksmoor？〃 cried Ethel
vehemently。
〃I want you to consider what is to be done； dear Ethel。 You thought；
last autumn； a great deal of curing your careless habits； now you
seem not to have time to attend。 You can do a great deal very fast；
I know； but isn't it a pity to be always in a hurry？〃
〃It isn't Cocksmoor that is the reason；〃 said Ethel。
〃No； you did pretty well when you began； but you know that was in the
holidays； when you had no Latin and Greek to do。〃
〃Oh； but； Margaret； they won't take so much time when I have once got
over the difficulties； and see my way； but just now they have put
Norman into such a frightfully difficult play； that I can hardly get
on at all with it； and there's a new kind of Greek verses； too； and I
don't make out from the book how to manage them。 Norman showed me on
Saturday； but mine won't be right。 When I've got over that； I shan't
be so hurried。〃
〃But Norman will go on to something harder； I suppose。〃
〃I dare say I shall be able to do it。〃
〃Perhaps you might； but I want you to consider if you are not working
beyond what can be good for anybody。 You see Norman is much cleverer
than most boys； and you are a year younger； and besides doing all his
work at the head of the school； his whole business of the day； you
have Cocksmoor to attend to； and your own lessons； besides reading
all the books that come into the house。 Now isn't that more than is
reasonable to expect any head and hands to do properly？〃
〃But if I can do it？〃
〃But can you； dear Ethel？ Aren't you always racing from one thing to
another； doing them by halves； feeling hunted； and then growing
vexed？〃
〃I know I have been cross lately；〃 said Ethel； 〃but it's the being so
bothered。〃
〃And why are you bothered？ Isn't it that you undertake too much？〃
〃What would you have me do？〃 said Ethel； in an injured； unconvinced
voice。 〃Not give up my children？〃
〃No；〃 said Margaret； 〃but don't think me very unkind if I say；
suppose you left off trying to keep up with Norman。〃
〃Oh； Margaret！ Margaret！〃 and her eyes filled with tears。 〃We have
hardly missed doing the same every day since the first Latin grammar
was put into his hands！〃
〃I know it would be very hard；〃 said Margaret； but Ethel continued；
in a piteous tone； a little sentimental； 〃From hie haec hoc up to
Alcaics and beta Thukididou we have gone on together； and I can't
bear to give it up。 I'm sure I can〃
〃Stop； Ethel； I really doubt whether you can。 Do you know that
Norman was telling papa the other day that it was very odd Dr。 Hoxton
gave them such easy lessons。〃
Ethel looked very much mortified。
〃You see；〃 said Margaret kindly； 〃we all know that men have more
power than women； and I suppose the time has come for Norman to pass
beyond you。 He would not be cleverer than any one； if he could not
do more than a girl at home。〃
〃He has so much more time for it；〃 said Ethel。
〃That's the very thing。 Now consider； Ethel。 His work； after he
goes to Oxford； will be doing his very utmostand you know what an
utmost that is。 If you could keep up with him at all； you must give
your whole time and thoughts to it； and when you had done soif you
could get all the honours in