"There is a
seminary for young ladies just round the corner--we will call there
this afternoon, and find out if the lady can give you lessons."
Miss Egerton, the principal of the seminary in question, opened her
eyes a good deal at Jasmine's modest request.
"I don't want French, nor German, nor music," quoth the young lady,
"but I do want to be helped to make very smooth and flowing verses,
and I want to have the plots of my novels cut up and criticised--for I
don't mind telling you," continued Jasmine, looking full into Miss
Egerton's deeply-lined and anxious face, "that I mean to live by my
pen. My sister is to be an artist, and I am to be a novelist and
poet."
Miss Egerton owned to herself afterwards that she had never met such
extraordinary girls; but then they were so pretty, and so fresh, and
the times were hard, and the High Schools were carrying off all her
pupils, so though she knew little or nothing of making up verses or
developing plots, she promised to receive Jasmine as a pupil, to
direct her reading, and to help her to the best of her ability. She
was a good and kind-hearted woman, and she made a further suggestion.
"What is to become of your little sister while you are both so busy,
young ladies?" she said.
Pages:
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174