But all along, and at first especially, there were many intervals filled up with teaching her sisters the delights of country walks and primrose-pickings; with reading her favourite books to them, stirring them up about their lessons, and, all unintentionally, in giving them something else to think of than the vagaries of their elders' life. A "school-room" had really been provided for them, high up in one of the corners of the house, with a window in its angle which caught the sun all day, and looked over the pretty, rough open country in which Cleverley lay. Here, with flowers and books and girlish rummage, was the most home-like spot the Haredale girls had ever known; and here late one sunny afternoon lounged Una, curled up in the corner of an old sofa--doing, as was still too often the case, absolutely nothing. Suddenly a light step came flying up the stairs, and Amethyst ran into the room, and stood before her in the full glory of the early evening sunlight, saying in her fresh girlish voice-- "Look, Una--look!" Amethyst was already in her white dinner-dress, and round her neck was clasped a broad band of glowing purple jewels. Stars of deep lustrous colour gleamed in her hair and on her bosom, her eyes shone in the sunshine, which poured its full glory on her innocent eager face, which in that clear and searching light seemed to share with the jewels a sort of heavenly radiance, a splendour of light and colour from a fairer and purer world. "Amethyst," exclaimed Una, starting up, "you look like an angel." Amethyst laughed, and stepping out of the sunlight, came and knelt down by Una's side; no longer a heavenly vision of light and colour, but a happy-faced girl, decorated with quaint and splendid ornaments of amethysts set with small diamonds. "Mamma says that she has given me my own jewels. She says she was so fond of these beautiful stones that she made up her mind to call me after them, and I am to wear them whenever I can. Aren't they lovely?" "Yes," said Una; "I didn't know my lady had them still. They're just fit for you." Amethyst took off the splendid necklet, and held it in her hands. "They're too beautiful to be vain of," she said, dreamily. "It's rather nice to have a stone and colour of one's own. I used to think amethysts and purple rather dull when we chose favourites at school. Amethyst means temperance, you know. It's a dull meaning, but I expect it's a very useful one for me now." "Why, what do you mean?" said Una. "Well!" said Amethyst, "I do enjoy everything so very much. I feel as if music, and dancing, and going out with mother, and having pretty things to wear, would be so very delightful. So if the most delightful things of all remind me that I mustn't let myself go, but be temperate in all things, it ought to be getting some good out of the beauty, oughtn't it?"