One evening，while，with her usual child-like activity，and thoughtless yet not offensive inquisitiveness，she was rummaging the cupboard and the table-drawer of my little kitchen，she discovered first two French books，a volume of Schiller，a German grammar and dictionary，and then my drawing-materials and some sketches，including a pencil-head of a pretty little cherub-like girl，one of my scholars，and sundry views from nature，taken in the Vale of Morton and on the surrounding moors. She was first transfixed with surprise，and then electrified with delight.

"Had I done these pictures? Did I know French and German? What a love- what a miracle I was! I drew better than her master in the first "With pleasure," I replied; and I felt a thrill of artist-delight at the idea of copying from so perfect and radiant a model. She had then on a dark-blue silk dress; her arms and her neck were bare; her only ornament was her chestnut tresses，which waved over her shoulders with all the wild grace of natural curls. I took a sheet of fine card-board，and drew a careful outline. I promised myself the pleasure of colouring it; and，as it was getting late then，I told her she must e and sit another day.

She made such a report of me to her father，that Mr. Oliver himself acpanied her next evening- a tall，massive-featured，middle-aged，and grey-headed man，at whose side his lovely daughter looked like a bright flower near a hoary turret. He appeared a taciturn，and perhaps a proud personage; but he was very kind to me. The sketch of Rosamond"s portrait pleased him highly: he said I must make a finished picture of it. He insisted，too，on my ing the next day to spend the evening at Vale Hall.

I went. I found it a large，handsome residence，showing abundant evidences of wealth in the proprietor. Rosamond was full of glee and pleasure all the time I stayed. Her father was affable; and when he entered into conversation with me after tea，he expressed in strong terms his approbation of what I had done in Morton school，and said he only feared，from what he saw and heard，I was too good for the place，and would soon quit it for one more suitable.