naturedly made the best of everything, and found at last even some pleasure in her life.
In half a year she became so practised in conversation and general deportment, that if she had been allowed to dress like the young baroness, the most fastidious aristocrat would never have found out that she was not noble birth. In this respect even the old baroness was satisfied with her, though she did not let it appear either to Jenny herself or to anybody else.
With the young baroness Jenny knew pretty well how to get on. Sály did not exactly belong to the clever ones. She let herself be easily amused, and Jenny’s skill and taste in womanly finery were very welcome to the young lady’s love of dress and personal adornment. She never showed any open heartiness to her companion, but she was kind and affable to her in a certain prescribed measure; and though sometimes, when in a bad humour, she did not spare her, she was sure to come round again before long, seeing that Jenny took all she said good naturedly and in good part, and only asserted herself with a certain gentle propriety.
In this way, by degrees, the clever and circumspect companion got the upper hand over her ward and mistress, and ruled her unostentatiously. To keep on good terms with the old baroness was much harder piece of work. Knowing herself to be surrounded and watched by her servile creatures, Miss Jenny spread her sails to catch the winds coming from the direction of the great potentate. To the gentleness of the dove she joined the wisdom of the serpent, and so kept clear of trouble. It was not an agreeable situation by any means, but she was forced by the circumstances in which she was placed to adopt this line of conduct
