“Remember, my dear Mademoiselle Heinzleman, this is a purely confidential communication. I have not confided to my sister either my fears or my hopes. The experiment was one I did not augur well from. It has turned out even worse than I expected. Indeed, if Ada was not the very best and sweetest of natures, she could not but resent the unfair preference shown to one so inferior to her in all but those traits which win favour from a schoolmistress. My mother’s health precludes all hope of our soon returning to England; indeed, we have even thought of sending for Ada to come here, and it is the dread of this climate, so pernicious to young people, offers the chief obstacle to the plan. Meanwhile, I feel forced to write what I have done, and to lay before you in all sincerity my complaint and its remedy. “Evening. “I have re-read your letter, and it seems to me that you might very judiciously remark yourself to Sir Gervais on the inexpediency of any continuance of Kate O’Hara’s presence. Her genius, soaring as it does above poor Ada’s, makes all emulation impossible. The pilot balloon, that is so soon out of sight, can offer no guidance--don’t forget that! Suppose you said to my brother that there was no longer any necessity to continue the stimulus of emulation--that it might become a rivalry--perhaps worse. Say something--anything of this kind--only send her home again, not forgetting the while that you can do now without injury what, later on, will cost a cruelty. “I can feel for the pain a teacher may experience in parting with a prize pupil, whose proficiency might one day become a triumph; but remember, my dear Mademoiselle, that poor, dear, simple Ada, to whom genius is denied, is, or ought to be, your first care here, and that the gifted peasant-girl might turn out to have other qualities of a firework besides the brilliancy. “I will, so fer as in me lies, relieve you from some of the embarrassments that the course I advise might provoke. I will request my brother to desire Mr. M’Kinlay to run down and pay you a few hours’ visit, and you can easily explain the situation to him, and suggest what I here point out as the remedy. “Of course, it is needless to repeat this letter is strictly and essentially confidential, and not to be imparted to any one. “I might have counselled you to have taken the advice of Sir Within Wardle, of whose kindness and attention we are most sensible, if you had not told me of the extraordinary ‘influence’--it is your own word, Mademoiselle, or I should not even have ventured to use it in such connexion--‘the influence’ this young girl exercises over Sir Within. As the observation so completely passes my power of comprehension, for I really--and I hope without needless stupidity--cannot understand how a girl of her class, bringing up, and age--age, above all--could exert what you designate as ‘influence’--I must beg you will be more explicit in your next.