"It won't make any difference, my dear, I'm afraid, to the trouble that has come upon us," said Miss Haredale, too deeply disturbed even to think of how she was dashing a pleasure, which seemed to her to bear little more relation to the realities of life than if Amethyst had shown her a new doll. "What is the matter?" said the girl, startled. "Is anything wrong? Father--or mother?" "No, my dear. But--but I have fallen into great misfortune; I would not tell you while there seemed a chance of its being a mistake. I hope I shall be enabled to bear it,--but it is more than I can face now." "What--what, auntie?" cried Amethyst, pressing close to her aunt's knees and seizing the trembling hands clasped on them. It took some talking and explaining before Amethyst could be made to comprehend the situation; but when she did understand how entirely the circumstances of their two lives were altered, her young soft face assumed a resolute expression. She stood up by the fireplace, and once more took the examination list in her hand. "Auntie," she said, "it is very sad, of course, but it would have been much worse yesterday. _Now_, I don't think you need be anxious about me, at any rate. I am worth something now. I shall go to Miss Halliday; I think she will let me have Miss Hayne's situation at Saint Etheldred's. At least, I know that a girl, with so good a certificate as _this_, can always get employment. So, dear auntie, _I_ can do for myself, and help you perhaps a little too." "Be a school-teacher?" exclaimed Miss Haredale, in horror. "You, at your age! with your family, and your appearance!--Perfectly impossible." "I could begin as a student-teacher, if I'm too young," said Amethyst coolly. "And it would be no disgrace to a princess to earn her living, if she was poor. And, as for looks,--it's a great advantage, auntie, to be rather nice-looking. It makes the girls like one." "My dear, don't talk of it," said her aunt. "You have a right to the advantages and opportunities of other girls, and you _must_ have them. Besides, it is settled otherwise." "Of course," said Amethyst, "I should have liked the balls and everything very much. But I hope you don't think, dear auntie, that I'm such a selfish girl as to think of that when you are in trouble. Besides, if we can't afford them, it would be wrong of course to go in for them. I like teaching, I shouldn't be dull. There would be garden-parties in the holidays. My cream muslin will do all this summer. And as for opportunities--if you mean about marrying--I'm sure, auntie, I've heard you say, over and over again, that if they are to come, they will come, wherever one may be. And if not--why, I can be quite happy as I am." As the girl spoke, in her fresh cool young voice, Miss Haredale felt that her line of education had been very successful since Amethyst could think thus, and also that it was incumbent on Amethyst's guardians to think otherwise.