It was a bitter cup to her to come 'home.' Mr.S---- was a farmer of fair means, and, compared with many of his neighbours, well-to-do, and well connected.

But he was still a yeoman only, and personally made pretensions to nothing more.

Though he himself had received little or no education, he quite saw the value of it, and was determined that his children should be abreast of the times.

Accordingly, so soon as Georgie grew old enough, a governess with high recommendations, and who asked what the farmer then thought a high price (he knows more about such things now!) was had down from London.

Of course the rudimentary A B C of learning could just as well have been imparted by an ordinary person, but Mr.and Mrs.S---- had a feeling which they could not perhaps have expressed in words, that it was not so much the actual reading and writing, and French and music, and so on, as a social influence that was needed to gradually train the little country girl into a young lady fit to move in higher society.
The governess did her work thoroughly.