Marion was very clever; she was romantic to a fault; she idealized
everything and every one with whom she came into contact. She had a
poet's soul, loving most dearly all things bright and beautiful; she was
very affectionate, very impressionable, able, generous with a queenly
lavishness, truthful, noble. Had she been trained by a careful mother,
Marion Arleigh would have been one of the noblest of women; but the best
of school training cannot compensate for the wise and loving discipline
of home. She grew up a most accomplished and lovely girl; the greatest
fault that could be found with her was that she was terribly unreal. She
knew nothing of the practical part of life. She idealized every one so
completely that she never really understood any one.
Lord Ridsdale wondered often what he was to do with this beautiful and
gifted girl when her school days were ended.
"She must be introduced to the world then," he thought; "and I fervently
hope she'll soon be married."
But as her coming to Ridsdale House would cause so great an alteration
in his way of life, he deferred that event as long as it was possible to
do so.
When Adelaide Lyster came as a governess-pupil to Miss Carleton's school
Marion Arleigh was just sixteen. Miss Lyster was not long before she
knew the rank and social importance of her beautiful young pupil.
"When you have the world at your feet," she would say to her sometimes,
"I shall ask you a favor."
"Ask me now!" said Marion, and then Miss Lyster told her how she had a
brother--a genius--an artist--whose talent equaled that of Raphael, but
that he was unknown to the world and had no one to take an interest in
his fortunes.
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