‘What did you do?’

’I gave one great scream, and flew at the newspaper.  The worst was, that I had to explain, and then—­oh! it was enough to make one sick.  Why had I not said I was Lord Ormersfield’s cousin?  I turned into a fine aristocratic-looking girl on the spot!  Miss Salter came and fondled, and wanted me to walk with her!’

‘Of course; she had compassion on your distress—­amiable feeling!’

’She only wanted to ask ridiculous questions, whether you were handsome.’

‘What did you reply?’

’I told them not a word, except that my brother was going to be your tutor.  When I saw Miss Salter setting off by this line, I made Jem take second-class tickets, that she might be ashamed of me.’

’My dear Giraffe, bend down your neck, and don’t take such a commonplace, conventional view of your schoolfellows.’

‘Conventional! ay, all agree because they know it by experience,’ said Clara—­’I’m sure I do!’

‘Then take the other side—­see the best.’

’Jem says you go too far, and are unreasonable with your theory of making the best of every one.’

’By no means.  I always made the worst of Frampton, and now I know what injustice I did him.  I never saw greater kindness and unselfishness than he has shown me.’

‘I should like to know what best you would make of these girls!’

‘You have to try that!’

‘Can I get any possible good by staying?’

‘A vast deal.’

’I’m sure Italian, and music, and drawing, are not a good compared with truth, and honour, and kindness.’

’All those things only grow by staying wherever we may happen to be, unless it is by our own fault.’

‘Tell me what good you mean!’

’Learning not to hate, learning to mend your gloves.  Don’t jerk the reins, Clara, or you’ll get me into a scrape.’

Clara could extract no more, nor did she wish it, for having relieved her mind by the overflow, she only wanted to forget her misfortunes.  Her cousin Louis was her chief companion, they had always felt themselves on the same level of nonsense, and had unreservedly shared each other’s confidences and projects; and ten thousand bits of intelligence were discussed with mutual ardour, while Clara’s ecstasy became uncontrollable as she felt herself coming nearer to her grandmother.  She finally descended with a bound almost as distressing to her brother as her ascent had been, and leapt at once to the embrace of Mrs. Frost, who stood there, petting, kissing her, and playfully threatening all sorts of means to stop her growth.  Clara reared up her giraffe figure, boasting of having overtopped all the world present, except Louis!  She made but a cold, abrupt response to her cousin Mary’s greeting, and presently rushed upstairs in search of dear old Jane, with an impetus that made Mrs. Frost sigh, and say, ‘Poor child! how happy she is;’ and follow her, smiling, while James looked annoyed.