believe　I　could　by　advertising）　I　could　stay　with　you；　and　be
  governess　to　Georgina　and　Myrtle；　for　I　am　sure　you　cannot　spare
  time　enough　to　teach　them　as　they　ought　to　be　taught；　and　Emmeline
  is　not　old　enough　to　have　any　command　over　them。　　I　could　also
  assist　at　your　dressmaking；　and　you　must　require　a　great　deal　of
  that　to　be　done　if　you　continue　to　appear　in　public。　　Mr。　Long　read
  in　the　papers　the　account　of　your　first　evening；　and　afterwards　I
  heard　two　ladies　of　our　committee　talking　about　it；　but　of　course
  not　one　of　them　knew　my　personal　interest　in　the　discussion。　　Now
  will　you；　Ethelberta；　think　if　I　may　not　come：　　Do；　there's　a　dear
  sister！　　I　will　do　anything　you　set　me　about　if　I　may　only　come。
  Your　ever　affectionate；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PICOTEE。'
  'Great　powers　abovewhat　worries　do　beset　me！'　cried　Ethelberta；
  jumping　up。　　'What　can　possess　the　child　so　suddenly？she　used　to
  like　Sandbourne　well　enough！'　　She　sat　down；　and　hastily　scribbled
  the　following　reply：
  'MY　DEAR　PICOTEEThere　is　only　a　little　time　to　spare　before　the
  post　goes；　but　I　will　try　to　answer　your　letter　at　once。　　Whatever
  is　the　reason　of　this　extraordinary　dislike　to　Sandbourne？　　It　is　a
  nice　healthy　place；　and　you　are　likely　to　do　much　better　than　either
  of　our　elder　sisters；　if　you　follow　straight　on　in　the　path　you　have
  chosen。　　Of　course；　if　such　good　fortune　should　attend　me　that　I　get
  rich　by　my　contrivances　of　public　story…telling　and　so　on；　I　shall
  share　everything　with　you　and　the　rest　of　us；　in　which　case　you
  shall　not　work　at　all。　　But　（although　I　have　been　unexpectedly
  successful　so　far）　this　is　problematical；　and　it　would　be　rash　to
  calculate　upon　all　of　us　being　able　to　live；　or　even　us　seven　girls
  only；　upon　the　fortune　I　am　going　to　make　that　way。　　So；　though　I
  don't　mean　to　be　harsh；　I　must　impress　upon　you　the　necessity　of
  going　on　as　you　are　going　just　at　present。　　I　know　the　place　must　be
  dull；　but　we　must　all　put　up　with　dulness　sometimes。　　You；　being
  next　to　me　in　age；　must　aid　me　as　well　as　you　can　in　doing　something
  for　the　younger　ones；　and　if　anybody　at　all　comes　and　lives　here
  otherwise　than　as　a　servant；　it　must　be　our　fatherwho　will　not；
  however；　at　present　hear　of　such　a　thing　when　I　mention　it　to　him。
  Do　think　of　all　this；　Picotee；　and　bear　up！　　Perhaps　we　shall　all　be
  happy　and　united　some　day。　　Joey　is　waiting　to　run　to　the　post…
  office　with　this　at　once。　　All　are　well。　　Sol　and　Dan　have　nearly
  finished　the　repairs　and　decorations　of　my　housebut　I　will　tell
  you　of　that　another　time。Your　affectionate　sister；
  BERTA。'
  18。　NEAR　SANDBOURNE　…　LONDON　STREETS　…　ETHELBERTA'S
  When　this　letter　reached　its　destination　the　next　morning；　Picotee；
  in　her　over…anxiety；　could　not　bring　herself　to　read　it　in　anybody's
  presence；　and　put　it　in　her　pocket　till　she　was　on　her　walk　across
  the　moor。　　She　still　lived　at　the　cottage　out　of　the　town；　though　at
  some　inconvenience　to　herself；　in　order　to　teach　at　a　small　village
  night…school　whilst　still　carrying　on　her　larger　occupation　of
  pupil…teacher　in　Sandbourne。
  So　she　walked　and　read；　and　was　soon　in　tears。　　Moreover；　when　she
  thought　of　what　Ethelberta　would　have　replied　had　that　keen　sister
  known　the　wildness　of　her　true　reason　in　wishing　to　go；　she
  shuddered　with　misery。　　To　wish　to　get　near　a　man　only　because　he
  had　been　kind　to　her；　and　had　admired　her　pretty　face；　and　had　given
  her　flowers；　to　nourish　a　passion　all　the　more　because　of　its
  hopeless　impracticability；　were　things　to　dream　of；　not　to　tell。
  Picotee　was　quite　an　unreasoning　animal。　　Her　sister　arranged
  situations　for　her；　told　her　how　to　conduct　herself　in　them；　how　to
  make　up　anew；　in　unobtrusive　shapes；　the　valuable　wearing　apparel
  she　sent　from　time　to　timeso　as　to　provoke　neither　exasperation　in
  the　little　gentry；　nor　superciliousness　in　the　great。　　Ethelberta
  did　everything　for　her；　in　short；　and　Picotee　obeyed　orders　with　the
  abstracted　ease　of　mind　which　people　show　who　have　their　thinking
  done　for　them；　and　put　out　their　troubles　as　they　do　their　washing。
  She　was　quite　willing　not　to　be　clever　herself；　since　it　was
  unnecessary　while　she　had　a　much…admired　sister；　who　was　clever
  enough　for　two　people　and　to　spare。
  This　arrangement；　by　which　she　gained　an　untroubled　existence　in
  exchange　for　freedom　of　will；　had　worked　very　pleasantly　for　Picotee
  until　the　anomaly　of　falling　in　love　on　her　own　account　created　a
  jar　in　the　machinery。　　Then　she　began　to　know　how　wearing　were
  miserable　days；　and　how　much　more　wearing　were　miserable　nights。
  She　pictured　Christopher　in　London　calling　upon　her　dignified　sister
  （for　Ethelberta　innocently　mentioned　his　name　sometimes　in　writing）
  and　imagined　over　and　over　again　the　mutual　signs　of　warm　feeling
  between　them。　　And　now　Picotee　resolved　upon　a　noble　course。　　Like
  Juliet；　she　had　been　troubled　with　a　consciousness　that　perhaps　her
  love　for　Christopher　was　a　trifle　forward　and　unmaidenly；　even
  though　she　had　determined　never　to　let　him　or　anybody　in　the　whole
  world　know　of　it。　　To　set　herself　to　pray　that　she　might　have
  strength　to　see　him　without　a　pang　the　lover　of　her　sister；　who
  deserved　him　so　much　more　than　herself；　would　be　a　grand　penance　and
  corrective。
  After　uttering　petitions　to　this　effect　for　several　days；　she　still
  felt　very　bad；　indeed；　in　the　psychological　difficulty　of　striving
  for　what　in　her　soul　she　did　not　desire；　rather　worse；　if　anything。
  At　last；　weary　of　walking　the　old　road　and　never　meeting　him；　and
  blank　in　a　general　powerlessness；　she　wrote　the　letter　to
  Ethelberta；　which　was　only　the　last　one　of　a　series　that　had
  previously　been　written　and　torn　up。
  Now　this　hope　had　been　whirled　away　like　thistledown；　and　the　case
  was　grievous　enough　to　distract　a　greater　stoic　than　Picotee。　　The
  end　of　it　was　that　she　left　the　school　on　insufficient　notice；　gave
  up　her　cottage　home　on　the　pleatrue　in　the　letterthat　she　was
  going　to　join　a　relative　in　London；　and　went　off　thither　by　a
  morning　train；　leaving　her　things　packed　ready　to　be　sent　on　when
  she　should　write　for　them。
  Picotee　arrived　in　town　late　on　a　cold　February　afternoon；　bearing　a
  small　bag　in　her　hand。　　She　crossed　Westminster　Bridge　on　foot；　just
  after　dusk；　and　saw　a　luminous　haze　hanging　over　each　well…lighted
  street　as　it　withdrew　into　distance　behind　the　nearer　houses；
  showing　its　direction　as　a　train　of　morning　mist　shows　the　course　of
  a　distant　stream　when　the　stream　itself　is　hidden。　　The　lights　along
  the　riverside　towards　Charing　Cross　sent　an　inverted　palisade　of
  gleaming　swords　down　into　the　shaking　water；　and　the　pavement　ticked
  to　the　touch　of　pedestrians'　feet；　most　of　whom　tripped　along　as　if
  walking　only　to　practise　a　favourite　quick　step；　and　held
  handkerchiefs　to　their　mouths　to　strain　off　the　river　mist　from
  their　lungs。　　She　inquired　her　way　to　Exonbury　Crescent；　and　between
  five　and　six　o'clock　reached　her　sister's　door。
  Two　or　three　minutes　were　passed　in　accumulating　resolution
  sufficient　to　ring　the　bell；　which　when　at　last　she　did；　was　not
  performed　in　a　way　at　all　calculated　to　make　the　young　man　Joey
  hasten　to　the　door。　　After　the　lapse　of　a　certain　time　he　did；
  however；　find　leisure　to　stroll　and　see　what　the　caller　might　want；
  out　of　curiosity　to　know　who　there　could　be　in　London　afraid　to　ring
  a　bell　twice。
  Joey's　delight　exceeded　even　his　surprise；　the　ruling　maxim　of　his
  life　being　the　more　the　merrier；　under　all　circumstances。　　The
  beaming　young　man　was　about　to　run　off　and　announce　her　upstairs　and
  downstairs；　left　and　right；　when　Picotee　called　him　hastily　to　her。
  In　the　hall　her　quick　young　eye　had　caught　sight　of　an　umbrella　with
  a　peculiar　horn　handlean　umbrella　she　had　been　accustomed　to　meet
  on　Sandbourne　Moor　on　many　happy　afternoons。　　Christopher　was
  evidently　in　the　house。
  'Joey；'　she　said；　as　if　she　were　ready　to　faint；　'don't　tell　Berta　I
  am　come。　　She　has　company；　has　she　not？'
  'O　noonly　Mr。　Julian！'　said　the　brother。　　'He's　quite　one　of　the
  family！'
  'Never　mindcan't　I　go　down　into　the　kitchen　with　you？'　she
  inquired。　　There　had　been　bliss　and　misery　mingled　in　those　tidings；
  and　she　scarcely　knew　for　a　moment　which　way　they　affected　her。
  What　she　did　know　was　that　she　had　run　her　dear　fox　to　earth；　and　a
  sense　of　satisfaction　at　that　feat　prevented　her　just　now　from
  counting　the　cost　of　the　performance。
  'Does　Mr。　Julian　come　to　see　her　very　often？'　said　she。
  'O　yeshe's　always　a…cominga　regular　bore　to　me。'
  'A　regular　what？'
  'Bore！Ah；　I　forgot；　you　don't　know　our　town　words。　　However；　come
  along。'
  They　passed　by　the　doors　on　tiptoe；　and　their　mother　upstairs　being；
  according　to　Joey's　account；　in　the　midst　of　a　nap；　Picotee　was
  unwilling　to　disturb　her；　so　they　went　down　at　once　to　the　kitchen；
  when　forward　rushed　Gwendoline　the　cook；　flourishing　her　floury
  hands；　and　Cornelia　the　housemaid；　dancing　over　her　brush；　and　these
  having　welcomed　and　made　Picotee　comfortable；　who　should　ring　the
  area…bell；　and　be　admitted　down　the　steps；　but　Sol　and　Dan。　　The
  workman…brothers；　their　day's　duties　being　over；　had　called　to　see
  their　relations；　first；　as　usual；　going　home　to　their　lodg