herself to instruction, and do her very best to be "nice."
Clarence's opinion was still favourable; he pronounced Miss Derrick
"very amusing," and less of a savage than his wife's description had
led him to expect.

Having the assistance of two servants and a nurse-girl, Emmeline was
not overburdened with domestic work. She soon found it fortunate
that her child, a girl of two years old, needed no great share of
her attention; for Miss Derrick, though at first she affected an
extravagant interest in the baby, very soon had enough of that
plaything, and showed a decided preference for Emmeline's society
out of sight and hearing of nursery affairs. On the afternoon of the
second day they went together to call upon Mrs. Fentiman, who lived
at a distance of a quarter of an hour's walk, in a house called
"Hazeldene"; a semi-detached house, considerably smaller than
"Runnymede," and neither without nor within so pleasant to look
upon. Mrs. Fentiman, a tall, hard-featured, but amiable lady, had
two young children who occupied most of her time; at present one of
them was ailing, and the mother could talk of nothing else but this
distressing circumstance. The call lasted only for ten minutes, and
Emmeline felt that her companion was disappointed.

'Children are a great trouble,' Louise remarked, when they had left
the house. 'People ought never to marry unless they can keep a lot
of servants. Not long ago I was rather fond of somebody, but I
wouldn't have him because he had no money. Don't you think I was
quite right?'

'I have no doubt you were.'