The College had opened with a goodly array of teachers of ‘accomplishments,’ as it was hoped thus to attract bye-students. These were gradually dismissed, and it cannot have added to the reputation of the school that some of the best-known masters, such as M. Théodore Colson, were considered too expensive. When the new Principal came there were only two teachers of music, one of whom was Mrs. Lloyd, mother of the great singer. Of this lady’s skill and loyalty Miss Beale always spoke with affectionate remembrance. The Lady Principal gained her support in a reform instituted very early in her reign, when separate piano lessons were again introduced, and the class system, disliked by Miss Beale on other than musical grounds, was swept away. She could not permit an arrangement which withdrew four pupils at once from the ordinary work of the school; through which important lessons were lost, and ‘collisions between class and music teachers made frequent.’ That the Council allowed such a change to be made is a testimony to their confidence in the new Principal. The immediate result was disastrous to the funds, and continued to be so until Mr. Brancker introduced his new financial scheme in 1860. The founders of the College were not men to be content with knowledge obtained from epitomes; Miss Procter, also, was earnest and devoted in her work, and took trouble to teach by means of lectures; but only dictated notes were given, and these were not corrected. Her lessons were evidently interesting:— ‘We worked hard, and the teaching was very thorough. I have no doubt many of the pupils beside myself would willingly own the great debt of gratitude they owe to Miss Procter; not so much, perhaps, for what she taught, as for the way in which she educated us by developing and enlarging our minds. She possessed a good library, and we were often sent for books of reference, and shown the bearings of the subject we were studying. Physical geography was taught by Miss Brewer, who always carefully prepared her lessons. M. Tiesset made our French lessons delightful, even the grammar was a pleasure, and he seemed to enjoy teaching us as much as we did being taught by him.’ So wrote Mrs. Coulson (_née_ Hartland) for Miss Beale’s _History of the Ladies’ College_, and another old pupil added:— ‘We had interesting lectures on Ancient History in general, and Greek History and Literature, from Miss Procter.... M. Tiesset and his sister taught French very well indeed, and I especially remember a chart of irregular verbs, M. Tiesset’s own arrangement, which, I believe, was a valuable help.’