“Believe me,
“‘Genuinely and heartily’ yours,
“My dear Miss Davies,
“Frances M. Buss.
“I mean to worry, worry, worry for a carte de visite of you. If you do not give way, then I shall worry, worry, worry Mrs. Davies.”
In the same letter Miss Buss says—
“I am half-inclined to think of trying inspection next year on our own account; the expense would, however, be one consideration, but the experiment would be worth trying.”
In 1864, Miss Buss had been inspected by Mr. Fearon, on behalf of the Schools Inquiry Commission, and her account of it to her sister is very characteristic. That the inspector did not share her own estimate of her girls is proved by the place given to her school, and by the invitation to appear before the Commissioners in 1865.
“Camden Street, June 24, 1864.
“Mr. Fearon is such a nice man! I like him much (as I said to Miss Begbie, I have taken to liking people lately: Economics, I suppose). He knows what he is about; is quick without being abrupt; and most certainly taught me a good deal. It was really wonderful to see how rapidly he arrived at an estimate. The morning was spent in getting information out of me about the history, birth, growth, management, income, etc., of the school.