I will not say precisely where this school was situated: there are reasons against it; but what little record I give of the establishment shall be true and faithful. It was not at Boulogne or at Calais, those renowned seaports, inundated with Anglo-French schools; neither was it in Paris or Brussels, or at Dieppe. We can call the town Nulle, and that's near enough. It was kept by two ladies, sisters, the Demoiselles Barlieu. The negotiations had been made by my trustees, and Mrs. Hemson had brought me to London, down to the steamer on this early morning, and was now consigning me to the care of Miss Barlieu's English governess, whom we had met there by appointment. She was a very plain young person, carrying no authority in appearance, and looking not much like a lady. Authority, as I found, she would have little in the school; she was engaged to teach English, and there her duties ended. "You had better secure a berth and lie down," she said to me. "The night has been cold, and it is scarcely light enough yet to be on deck." "Any ladies for shore?" cried a rough voice at the cabin door. "Shore!" echoed Miss Johnstone, in what seemed alarm. "You are surely not going to start yet! I am waiting for another young lady." "It wont be more than five minutes now, mum." "A pupil?" I asked her. "I believe so. Mademoiselle Barlieu wrote to me that two——" "Any lady here of the name of Johnstone?" The inquiry came from a middle-aged, quiet-looking person, who was glancing in at the cabin door. By her side stood a most elegant girl of seventeen, perhaps eighteen, her eyes blue, her face brilliantly fair, her dress handsome. "I am Miss Johnstone," said the teacher, advancing. "What a relief! The steward thought no governess had come on board, and I must not have dared to send Miss Chandos alone. My lady——" "You would, Hill; so don't talk nonsense," interrupted the young lady, with a laugh, as she threw up her white veil, and brought her beauty right underneath the cabin lamp. "Would the fishes have swallowed me up any the quicker for not being in somebody's charge? Unfasten my cloak, Hill." "This young lady is Miss Chandos, ma'am," said the person addressed as Hill, presenting the beautiful girl to Miss Johnstone. "Please take every care of her in going across." The young lady wheeled round. "Are you our new English teacher?" "I am engaged as English governess at Mademoiselle Barlieu's," replied Miss Johnstone, who had not at all a pleasant manner of speaking. "She wrote word to me that I might expect Miss Chandos and Miss Hereford on board." "Miss Hereford!" was the quick response. "Who is she?" But by that time I was lying down on the berth, and the rough voice again interrupted. "Any lady as is for shore had better look sharp, unless they'd like to be took off to t'other side the Channel."