Music I never had the least ear for, I could scarcely be taught my notes.  This defect in me was always particularly regretted by my mother, she being an excellent performer herself both on the piano and on the harp.

I think I have some taste for drawing; but as lady Harriot did not particularly excel in this, I lost so much time in the summer months, practising only under my governess, that I made no great proficiency even in this my favourite art.  But miss Lesley with all these advantages which I have named, every body so eager to instruct her, she so willing to learn—­every thing so new and delightful to her, how could it happen otherwise? she in a short time became a little prodigy.  What best pleased lady Harriot was, after she had conquered the first difficulties, she discovered a wonderful talent for music.  Here she was her mother’s own girl indeed—­she had the same sweet-toned voice—­the same delicate finger.—­Her musical governess had little now to do; for as soon as lady Harriot perceived this excellence in her, she gave up all company, and devoted her whole time to instructing her daughter in this science.

Nothing makes the heart ache with such a hopeless, heavy pain, as envy.

I had felt deeply before, but till now I could not be said to envy miss Lesley.—­All day long the notes of the harp or the piano spoke sad sounds to me, of the loss of a loved mother’s heart.

To have, in a manner, two mothers, and miss Lesley to engross them both, was too much indeed.

It was at this time that one day I had been wearied with hearing lady Harriot play one long piece of Haydn’s music after another, to her enraptured daughter.  We were to walk with our governess to Dr. Wheelding’s that morning; and after lady Harriot had left the room, and we were quite ready for our walk, miss Lesley would not leave the instrument for I know not how long.

It was on that day that I thought she was not quite honest in her expressions of joy at the sight of my poor mother, who had been waiting at the garden-gate near two hours to see her arrive; yet she might be, for the music had put her in remarkably good spirits that morning.

O the music quite, quite won lady Harriot’s heart!  Till miss Lesley began to play so well, she often lamented the time it would take, before her daughter would have the air of a person of fashion’s child.  It was my part of the general instruction to give her lessons on this head.  We used to make a kind of play of it, which we called lectures on fashionable manners:  it was a pleasant amusement to me, a sort of keeping up the memory of past times.  But now the music was always in the way.  The last time it was talked of, lady Harriot said her daughter’s time was too precious to be taken up with such trifling.