Mrs.Fenton, still good-looking, was not averse to flirting with the more presentable of her customers, and as Lavinia developed into womanhood she became a serious rival to her mother, so on the whole, Gay's proposition suited Mrs.Fenton admirably, and she certainly never bothered to find out if he spoke the truth.

She was not inclined to accept his story of the boarding school as a stepping-stone to the stage, but to pretend to believe it in a way quieted what little conscience she possessed.

If the scheme turned out badly, why, no one could say _she_ was to blame.
Lavinia, tremulous with excitement and looking prettier than ever, came into the room where the poet was awaiting her.

Her face fell when Gay talked about the boarding school and of the possibility of her having to remain there a long time, but she brightened up on his going on to say that the period might be considerably shortened if she made a rapid improvement.
"And do you really think, sir, I shall ever be good enough to act in a theatre like Mrs.Barry and Mrs.Oldfield, and--oh, and Mrs.
Bracegurdle ?" cried the girl, her eyes blazing with anxious ambition.
"I don't say you'll act like them.

You'll act in your own way, and if you work hard your own way will be good enough.