She learned to handle the _burin_, and succeeded in this as in every thing else.

As yet she did not derive any salary from it; but at the fete of her grandfather and grandmother, she presented to them as her offering, sometimes a head, which she had applied herself to execute for this express purpose, sometimes a small brass plate, highly polished, on which she had engraved emblems or flowers; and they in return gave her ornaments or something for her toilette, for which she confesses always to have been anxious.
This taste, natural to her age and sex, did not, however, distract her from the more humble domestic duties.

She was not ashamed, after appearing on Sundays at church, or walking out elegantly dressed, to put on during the week a cotton gown, and go to market with her mother.

She used even to go out to shops in their neighbourhood to buy parsley or salad, which had been forgotten.

Although she felt herself somewhat humiliated by these domestic cares, which brought her down from the eminence of her Plutarch, and her visionary wanderings, she combined so much grace, and so much natural dignity, that the fruit-woman used to take pleasure in serving her before her other customers; and the first comers took no offence at this preference.