“I don’t think it’s time yet for Cecily to give up her set studies.  I should like to find some one to read with her regularly again before long—­say Latin and history; there would be no harm in a little mathematics.  But there’s a difficulty in finding the suitable person.”  She smiled.  “I’m afraid only a lady will answer the purpose.”

“Better, no doubt,” assented Eleanor, also with a smile.

“And ladies who would be any good to Cecily are not at one’s disposition every day.  What an admirable mind she has!  I never knew any one acquire with so little effort.  Of course, she has long ago left me behind in everything.  The only use I can be to her is to help her in gaining knowledge of the world—­not to be learnt entirely out of books, we know.”

“What is your system with her?”

“You see that I have one,” said Mrs. Lessingham, gratified, and rustling her plumage a little as a lady does when she is about to speak in confidence of something that pleases her.  “Of course, I very soon understood that the ordinary surveillance and restrictions and moral theories were of little use in her case. (I may speak with you quite freely, I am sure.) I’m afraid the results would have been very sad if Cecily had grown up in Lancashire.”

“I doubt whether she would have grown up at all.”

“Indeed, it seemed doubtful.  If her strength had not utterly failed, she must have suffered dreadfully in mind.  I studied her carefully during the first two years; then I was able to pursue my method with a good deal of confidence.  It has been my aim to give free play to all her faculties; to direct her intelligence, but never to check its growth—­as is commonly done.  We know what is meant by a girl’s education, as a rule; it is not so much the imparting of knowledge as the careful fostering of special ignorances.  I think I put it rightly?”

“I think so.”

“It is usual to say that a girl must know nothing of this and that and the other thing—­these things being, in fact, the most important for her to understand.  I won’t say that every girl can safely be left so free as I have left Cecily; but when one has to deal with exceptional intelligence, why not yield it the exceptional advantages?  Then again, I had to bear in mind that Cecily has strong emotions.  This seemed to me only another reason for releasing her mind from the misconceptions it is usual to encourage.  I have done my best to help her to see things as they are, not as moral teachers would like them to be, and as parents make-believe to their girls that they are indeed.”

Mrs. Lessingham ended on a suave note of triumph, and smiled very graciously as Eleanor looked approval.