Marcella, looking back, could not remember that she had ever been much desired at home.

No doubt she had been often moody and tiresome in the holidays; but she suspected--nay, was certain--that there had been other and more permanent reasons why her parents felt her presence with them a burden.
At any rate, when the moment came for her to leave Miss Pemberton, her mother wrote from abroad that, as Marcella had of late shown decided aptitude both for music and painting, it would be well that she should cultivate both gifts for a while more seriously than would be possible at home.

Mrs.Boyce had made inquiries, and was quite willing that her daughter should go, for a time, to a lady whose address she enclosed, and to whom she herself had written--a lady who received girl-students working at the South Kensington art classes.
So began an experience, as novel as it was strenuous.

Marcella soon developed all the airs of independence and all the jargon of two professions.

Working with consuming energy and ambition, she pushed her gifts so far as to become at least a very intelligent, eager, and confident critic of the art of other people--which is much.