’I’m sure I don’t understand the girl. She has no proper pride. Any other girl in her position would be glad to have such chances, and eager to make use of them. But no—she would sooner go looking after a lot of cottar’s children than set to work to qualify herself for taking her proper place in society; and what is the use of my talking when you encourage her in her idleness?’ ’I like to have the girl at home,’ he said, rather feebly. ’There,’ she said, producing a letter and opening it—although he had heard the contents a dozen times before. ’There it is—in black and white—a distinct invitation. "Could you let Meenie come to us for a month or six weeks when we go to Brighton in November?"’ ’Well,’ said the good-natured Doctor, ’that would be a better kind of a change. Sea-air—sunlight—plenty of society and amusement.’ ’She shall not go there, nor anywhere else, with my cousin and his family, until she has fitted herself for taking such a position,’ said the little woman peremptorily. ’Sir Alexander is good-nature itself, but I am not going to send him a half-educated Highland girl that he would be ashamed of. Why, the best families in England go to Brighton for the winter—every one is there. It would be worse than sending her to London. And what does this month or six weeks mean?—Surely it is plain enough. They want to try her. They want to see what her accomplishments are. They want to see whether they can take her abroad with them, and present her at Paris and Florence and Rome. Every year now Sir Alexander goes abroad at Christmas time; and of course if she satisfied them she would be asked to go also—and there, think of that chance!’ ’The girl is well enough,’ said he. She was on the point of retorting that, as far as he knew anything about the matter, Williamina was well enough. But she spared him. ’No, she has no proper pride,’ the little Dresden-china woman continued. ’And just now, when everything is in her favour. Agatha never had such chances. Agatha never had Williamina’s good looks. Of course, I say nothing against Mr. Gemmill—he is a highly respectable man—and if the business is going on as they say it is going, I don’t see why they should not leave Queen’s Crescent and take a larger house—up by the West End Park. And he is an intelligent man, too; the society they have is clever and intellectual—you saw in Agatha’s last letter about the artists’ party she had—why, their names are in every newspaper—quite distinguished people, in that way of life. And, at all events, it would be a beginning. Williamina would learn something. Agatha is a perfect musician—you can’t deny that.’ But here the big Doctor rebelled; and he brought the weight of his professional authority to bear upon her.