in a little time she began
to be interested in Arthur for himself.

In the ordinary way she did not see a great deal of her husband's
pupils. Nominally, of course, she was the female head of the
household, but Considine, aware of her limited domestic experience, and
her ignorance of English customs, had secured a housekeeper from his
own home in Wiltshire, a Mrs. Bemerton, who also filled the office of
matron. As might be expected in a woman of Considine's choice, Mrs.
Bemerton was capable and, as luck would have it, she was also kindly.
All the domestic arrangements at Lapton ran smoothly under her
direction. She was reasonably popular with the boys and mothered them.
She even found time to mother Gabrielle--respectfully, for she had come
from a county that is staunchly feudal, and was aware of her mistress's
august connections.

It was fortunate for Gabrielle in her relations with the boys that she
had so little to do with their domestic management. The fact that she
only saw them in their moments of recreation saved her from being
regarded as an ogress, her only suspicious circumstance being the fact
that she was married to Considine. Before the winter came she had
played games with them, and since she had so much of the tomboy in her,
had made herself acceptable as a sportswoman and a good sort. By the
time that Arthur Payne arrived the days were drawing in, and she saw
very little of them, except in the evenings, after dinner, when she and
Considine would join them in a game of snooker in the billiard-room, or
take a hand of whist, old-fashioned whist, in the library.

It was here that she first became personally aware of Arthur's
disability. For several weeks she had been getting used to him as a
normal being, attractive because he was so undeniably handsome and
well-developed, more than usually attractive to her, perhaps, because
she was dark and he was fair. She had noticed his eyes, so like the
beautiful eyes of Mrs. Payne, his splendid teeth, and the charming
ingenuousness of his manner. Subtly influenced by these physical
features, and taking him for granted, she had almost forgotten the
curious history that Mrs. Payne had confided to her, and it came as a
shock to her playing cards against him one evening, to realise suddenly
that he was cheating.

Her first impulse was one of indignation; but as she was not quite sure
of herself she said nothing, waiting to see if she could possibly have
been