Eleanor wrote to thank Madame for the flowers, and received a long and enthusiastic letter in reply--in French, of course, and pointing out one or two blunders in Eleanor's letter, which was in French also.

She begged Eleanor to continue to correspond with her, for the improvement of her "composition." Poor Madame! She was indeed an indefatigable teacher, and had a real ambition for the success of her pupils, which, in the drudgery of her life, was almost grand.
Strange to say, she once came to the Vicarage.

It was during the summer succeeding that in which I came to live with the Arkwrights.

She had been in the habit of spending the holidays with a family in the country, where, I believe, she gave some instruction in French and music in return for her expenses.

That summer she was out of health, and thinking herself unable to fulfil her part of the bargain, she would not go.
After severe struggles with her sensitive scruples, she was persuaded to come to us instead, on the distinct condition that she was to do nothing in the way of "lessons," but talk French with us.
To persuade her to accept any payment for her services was the subject of another long struggle.