"Yet it would be your duty to bear it，if you could not avoid it: it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to be required to bear."

I heard her with wonder: I could not prehend this doctrine of endurance; and still less could I understand or sympathise with the forbearance she expressed for her chastiser. Still I felt that Helen Burns considered things by a light invisible to my eyes. I suspected she might be right and I wrong; but I would not ponder the matter deeply; like Felix，I put it off to a more convenient season.

"You say you have faults，Helen: what are they? To me you seem very good."

"Then learn from me，not to judge by appearances: I am，as Miss Scatcherd said，slatternly; I seldom put，and never keep，things in order; I am careless; I forget rules; I read when I should learn my lessons; I have no method; and sometimes I say，like you，I cannot bear to be subjected to systematic arrangements. This is all very provoking to Miss Scatcherd，who is naturally neat，punctual，and particular."

"And cross and cruel," I added; but Helen Burns would not admit my addition: she kept silence.

"Is Miss Temple as severe to you as Miss Scatcherd?"

At the utterance of Miss Temple"s name，a soft smile flitted over her grave face.

"Miss Temple is full of goodness; it pains her to be severe to any one，even the worst in the school: she sees my errors，and tells me of them gently; and if I do anything worthy of praise，she gives me my meed liberally. One strong proof of my wretchedly defective nature is，that even her expostulations，so mild，so rational，have no influence to cure me of my faults; and even her praise，though I value it most highly，cannot stimulate me to continued care and foresight."