Page:Gissing - The Nether World, vol. I, 1889.djvu/207

 child came to regard this as the course inevitably before her. Had she not already received school-prizes, among them a much-gilded little volume "for religious knowledge"? Did she not win universal applause when she recited a piece of verse on prize-day,—Miss Harrop (disastrous kindness!) even saying that the delivery reminded her of Mrs., the celebrated actress!

Grace Rudd was busy in the same fatal work. Four years older than Clara, weakly pretty, sentimental, conceited, she had a fancy for patronising the clever child, to the end that she might receive homage in return. Poor Grace! She left school, spent a year or two at home with parents as foolish as herself, and—disappeared. Prior to that. Miss Harrop had also passed out of Clara's ken, driven by restlessness to try another school, away from London.

These losses appeared to affect Clara unfavourably. She began to neglect her books, to be insubordinate, to exhibit arrogance, which brought down upon her plenty of