JUNE 103 



repay your kindness by expansion. But there are 

 very few things and fewer persons for whom Eliza- 

 beth has a word of praise, and the only friend whom 

 she can endure is one who is clever enough to 

 flatter her about her garden. To others she is 



o 



inwardly cold and critical, with a charming affecta- 

 tion of pleasantness which would not deceive a 

 baby. She dislikes Minora most of all, and is only 

 well disposed to her visitor when she notices her 

 thick wrists. The fact is that Minora has a beautiful 

 nose ; and although Elizabeth would rather die 

 than own herself jealous, it is obvious to the 

 meanest capacity that this is what ails her. The 

 admirable Miss Jones also, whose perfect propriety 

 of demeanour is assumed through a rigid sense of 

 duty, rouses all her wrath. But what was there, in 

 the name of justice, to complain of in Miss Jones ? 

 That she had but small respect for her employer 

 should not in itself have formed a legitimate 

 grievance, since not even a nursery governess can 

 control her inward feelings ; and even Elizabeth 

 admits that Miss Jones's outward expression was 

 severely perfect. And to her bosom friend Irais 

 Elizabeth is simply diabolical when she thinks that 

 that friend is trespassing a little too long on her 

 hospitality. She makes no secret of her opinion 

 that the weeks her guests are with her is time lost 

 so far as her pleasure is concerned, and even goes 

 so far as to say that it rejoices her as much to see 

 them go as to see them come. I am certain that it 

 rejoices her far more. 



The truth of the matter is that our good Elizabeth 

 has no wholesome illusions ; glamour is unknown 



