Nor are we as regards the judgments of contemporaries confined to the possibly idealized picture of later years. Fortunately for the accuracy of the picture, Sophy seems about this time to have originated in the school a practice of character-writing, in which the critics were encouraged to be absolutely frank. This is what she brought upon herself: “Sophy is very affectionate and has more good in her than people think, she is truthful and can be trusted. She has an immense amount of self-conceit, self-sufficiency and pride. She will not be led by anything but affection, or a desire to make much of herself, and make herself well thought of. She has great talents and is very clever. She wishes to be thought an out-of-the-way character and is so. She lacks gentleness of feeling and manner.” “Sophy is certainly excessively clever but unfortunately knows it, and makes a point of showing it off upon every possible occasion. She is truthfulness itself and can really be trusted. Very passionate but very penitent afterwards. Affectionate.” “Clever, passionate, affectionate. Many bad habits but tries (lately at least) to get the better of them. Might be made a great deal of. Rather too fond of her own opinion. I think true.” It is rather staggering to find how much wiser the young folks were in those days than were their elders! Again Sophy propounds the question whether A. or E. is “the greater pet.” The discussion goes on in writing, and finally the originator ends it by saying: “At any rate A. is the only friend I have got, and I don’t want to lose her.” To which D. responds: “You are wise, but she is not the only friend you _might_ have.” And Sophy all too proud: “There are only one or two others I _could_ have as a friend.” And finally M.: “As to your friends, I quite agree with D. I think you might have had many. I know you might have had me long ere this, had you tried.” Of another schoolfellow under discussion Sophy explains that she finds the young lady personally “aggravating,” and adds: “But I think she is very ingenuous, and would own to a thing, even to a little one, which is a great thing considering her pride. That is what I do admire so ardently. SOPHY.” CHAPTER IV SCHOOL LIFE—_Concluded_ It will surprise no one who has read the extracts from Sophy’s diary on page 32 to learn that, at the end of the summer term, Miss X. announced her inability to keep her any longer in the school. The culprit evidently declined to manifest any proper sense of sin or even of humiliation; and the distress of her parents may be imagined. They recognized no other standard by which to judge her than the standard by which poor Sophy had so egregiously failed.