Why should she cramp her fingers over these crooked little marks?
But she mastered with hardly a struggle the mysteries of figures, for she would have to sell her cattle, and "dad doesn't know when they are cheating." Her ideas of education were purely utilitarian, and what did not appear immediately useful she refused to trifle with.

And so all through the following long winter she vexed my righteous soul with her wilfulness and pride.

An appeal to her father was idle.

She would wind her long, thin arms about his neck and let her waving red hair float over him until the old man was quite helpless to exert authority.

The Duke could do most with her.