Written on mourning stationery.
Saying that the girls, Flora and Leila, should not travel without a maid but that the maid should return after she has accompanied the girls to the Cornish cottage; discussing whether a governess should accompany a child on a visit and saying "I wonder that it did not strike you that the presence of a governess is as a rule impossible in visits. A woman who is neither a servant nor a guest can only be quietly absorbed in a very large house indeed; & even there would be rather in the way, however willing people might be. There are certainly very few people indeed who would be willing to put themselves to the inconvenience of either making special arrangements, or of submitting to the presence in the drawing room of a strange governess. Most people look on their own governesses as necessary evils -- they are not likely to welcome unnecessary evils. As regard the advantage of the presence of Miss Büller, I don't think you quite sufficiently see that while visits are going on she cannot carry out 'regular discipline.' The practical difficulties would be insuperable, & if she tried to enforce anything of this kind she would only make the girls dislike her. The quiet influence which is the result of companionship would no doubt be important, but she has not had time to begin to exercise this influence -- & so far as Flora is concerned -- that is to say so far as that one is concerned in whom it is much the most important that a wholesome influence should establish itself -- I can see that mine is a disposition to reject its establishment. I am inclined to think that it would be an evil to Miss Büller to be with the girls during visits not long enough for lessons -- if she attempted to assert herself at all they would very likely take a distaste to her, & then she would not have a fair chance when regular life begins in the autumn. As I have said before I quite see the evil of Flora's dissatisfaction with whatever is and of her crave for excitement, but I do not see how a course of treatment with a view to cure can be begun for the next couple of months -- no very long time after all;" concluding that he could not be hurt by her father's discourtesy since he does not have any respect for "his views or estimation of me."