Shewasasunawareofthesignificanceofhergreatpossessionaswerethosearoundher。Neverthelessitwasanunerringthing。Asamerechild，unformedanduneducatedbylife，shehadnotbeenoneofthesmallcreaturestobedeceivedorflattered。
\"She’sanawfullysmartlittlething，thatBetty，\"herNewYorkauntsandcousinsoftenremarked。\"Sheseemstoseewhatpeoplemean，itdoesn’tmatterwhattheysay。Shelikespeopleyouwouldnotexpecthertolike，andthenagainshesometimesdoesn’tcaretheleastforpeoplewhoarethoughtawfullyattractive。\"
Ashasbeenalreadyintimated，thechildwascrudeenoughandnotparticularlywellbred，buthersmallbrainhadalwaysbeenatwork，andeachdayofherliferecordedforhervaluableimpressions。Thepageofheryoungmindhadceasedtobeablankmuchearlierthanisusual。
ThecomparingoftheseimpressionswithsuchasshereceivedwhenherlifeintheFrenchschoolwasnewaffordedheractivementalexerciseShebeganwithnatural，secretindignationandrebellion。
TherewasnootherAmericanpupilintheestablishmentbesidesherself。ButforthefactthatthenameofVanderpoelrepresentedwealthsoenormousastoamounttoasortofrankinitself，Bettinawouldnothavebeenreceived。TheproprietressoftheinstitutionhadgravelydisquietingdoubtsoftheproprietyofAmerica。Herpupilswerenotaccustomedtofreedomofopinionsandcustoms。AnAmericanchildmighteitherconsciouslyorunconsciouslyintroducethem。Asthismustbeguardedagainst，Betty’sfirstfewmonthsattheschoolwerenotagreeabletoher。Shewassupervisedandexpurgated，asitwere。SpecialSistersweretoldofftoconverseandwalkwithher，andshesoonperceivedthatconversationswerenotonlyFrenchlessonsindisguise，butwerelecturesonethics，morals，andgoodmanners，imperfectlyconcealedbythemaskanddominoofamiableentertainment。ShetranslatedintoEnglishafterthefollowingmannerthefactsherswiftyoungperceptionsgathered。Therewerethingsitwassoineleganttosaythatonlythemostimpossiblepersonssaidthem；therewerethingsitwassoinexcusabletodothatwhendonetheirinexcusabilityassumedtheproportionsofacrime。Thereweremovements，expressions，pointsofview，whichonemustavoidasonewouldavoidtheplague。Andtheywereallthings，acts，expressions，attitudesofmindwhichBettinahadbeenfamiliarwithfromherinfancy，andwhichshewaswellawarewereconsideredalmostentirelyharmlessandunobjectionableinNewYork，inherbelovedNewYork，whichwasthecentreoftheworld，whichwasbigger，richer，gayer，moreadmirablethananyothercityknownupontheearth。