176 Turnaside Cottage.

“T have not finished my tale. My post at the
grammar-school was filled up, and I did not return
to public teaching. The strain on my nerves had
indeed been so great and continuous, that though {|
did not fall ill, I felt shaken and feeble after my
sister’s death, and I do not think that my nerves have
ever recovered their tone. Still, I must do some-
thing to support myself; and I advertised that I
would give lessons at my lodging (I had removed
into one with larger and fewer rooms) in English,
Latin, Greek, or music. The first few scholars who
offered themselves were withdrawn again on my re-
fusal to permit any parcnt or companion to remain
in the room during the time. I could not; I felt
that I should be dumb and unable to do justice to
my scholar or my subject in the presence of an
auditor ; so I let them go, in spite of Rinaldi’s rally-
ing, and my own shortening funds. The music that
I had studied for my sister’s sake now stood me in
good stead. One or two boys from the grammar-
school became my pupils in music, and I was getting
on with them not ill, and trying to content myself
with that, when I received the offer of three little
girls, daughters of a neighbouring rector, to educate.
I remember Rinaldi’s delight and pretended horror
at the prospect. He related, with laughing ex-
aggeration, his first experience of lady-pupils ; how