"I can’t quite explain," said Adelaide Maud to Miss Grace one day, "I can’t explain why I feel it, but this new cousin isn’t on the same plane with the Leightons. There’s something more--more developed, it’s true, but there’s also something missing." "Something that has to do with being a lady?" asked Miss Grace in her timid way. "Exactly. I know my London types, and this isn’t one I should fasten on to admire, although she makes rather a dashing brilliant appearance in her present surroundings." "I’m a little concerned about that," said Miss Grace. In spite of her uniform courtesy where Isobel was concerned she had quite a talk with Adelaide Maud regarding her. "I should fancy it’s this," said Miss Grace finally, "that while she stays with the Leightons she has all the more income on which to look beautiful. I can’t help seeing an ulterior motive, you observe. I sometimes wonder, however, what she will do to my little girls before she is done with them." The first thing Isobel did was to inflame Jean with a desire to sing. There was no use trying to inflame Mabel about anything. After Jean had discovered that she might have a voice there was nothing for it but that she should go to London. She begged and implored her father and mother to let her go to London. She was the only member of the family who had ever had the pluck to suggest such a thing. They had a familiar disease of home-sickness which prevented any daring in such a direction. Mabel had twice come home a wreck before she was expected home at all, and invariably vowing never to leave again. And now Jean, the valiant, asked to be allowed to go alone to London in order to study. "It’s Isobel who has done it," wailed Betty. "She’s so equipped. We seem such duffers. And it will be the first break." Mr. Leighton groaned. "Why can’t you be happy at home," he asked Jean. "Oh, it will be so lovely to come back," said Jean, "with it all--what to do and how to do it--at one’s fingers’ ends." "You don’t keep your voice at your fingers’ ends, do you?" asked Mrs. Leighton. It seemed superb nonsense to her that Jean should not take lessons at home. Isobel marvelled to find that the real difficulty in the way of Jean’s getting was this mild obstinacy of Mrs. Leighton’s. "I can tell Jean of such a nice place to live--with girls," said Isobel. "And I know the master she ought to have." "And we can’t all vegetate here for ever," said poor Jean. Nothing ever cost Mr. Leighton the wrench that this cost him, but he prepared to let Jean go. Mabel and Elma would rather anything than that had happened just then. It had the effect of making Isobel more particular in being with Mabel rather than with Jean. Had she sounded the fact that with all Jean’s protestations, Mabel was the much desired--that people were more keen on having the Leighton’s when Mabel was of the party! Elma began to speculate on this until she was ashamed of herself.