And she laughed as she remembered his misery. "I feel very much inclined to groan myself," said Miss Hastings. "You shall have theories, or facts, higher, more beautiful, nobler, grander far than any Comte ever dreamed. And now we must begin to work in real earnest." But Pauline Darrell did not move; her dark eyes were shadowed, her beautiful face grew sullen and determined. "You are going to spoil my life," she said. "Hitherto it has been a glorious life--free, gladsome, and bright; now you are going to parcel it out. There will be no more sunshiny hours; you are going to reduce me to a kind of machine, to cut off all my beautiful dreams, my lofty thoughts. You want to make me a formal, precise young lady, who will laugh, speak, and think by rule." "I want to make you a sensible woman, my dear Pauline," corrected Miss Hastings, gravely. "Who is the better or the happier for being so sensible?" demanded Pauline. She paused for a few minutes, and then she added, suddenly: "Darrell Court and all the wealth of the Darrells are not worth it, Miss Hastings." "Not worth what, Pauline?" "Not worth the price I must pay." "What is the price?" asked Miss Hastings, calmly. "My independence, my freedom of action and thought, my liberty of speech." "Do you seriously value these more highly than all that Sir Oswald could leave you?" "I do--a thousand times more highly," she replied. Miss Hastings was silent for some few minutes, and then said: "We must do our best; suppose we make a compromise? I will give you all the liberty that I honestly can, in every way, and you shall give your attention to the studies I propose. I will make your task as easy as I can for you. Darrell Court is worth a struggle." "Yes," was the half-reluctant reply, "it is worth a struggle, and I will make it." But there was not much hope in the heart of the governess when she commenced her task. CHAPTER V. PAULINE'S GOOD POINTS.