In spite of her will Hilary felt herself wince, and the color rush all over her face, at Miss Balquidder's question.
"Take time to answer, and speak out, my dear.

Don't be afraid.

You'll not offend me." The kindly cheerful tone made Hilary recover her balance immediately.
"I never thought of it before; the possibility of such a thing did not occur to me; but I hope I should not be ashamed of any honest work for which I was competent.

Only--to serve in a shop--to want upon strangers--I am so horribly shy of strangers." And again the sensitive color rushed in a perfect tide over checks and forehead.
Miss Balquidder looked, half amused, compassionately at her.
"No, my dear, you would not make a good shop-woman, at least there are many who are better fitted for it than you; and it is my maxim that people should try to find out, and to do, only that which they are best fitted for.

If they did we might not have so many cases of proud despair and ambitious failure in the world.