ed them. In her imaginary
picture of such places, Mrs. Gallilee's tone and manner realised, in the
strangest way, her idea of a matron speaking to a penitent.

As she crossed the hall, her thoughts took a new direction. Some
indefinable distrust of the coming time got possession of her. An ugly
model of the Colosseum, in cork, stood on the hall table. She looked
at it absently. "I hope Teresa will come soon," she thought--and turned
away to the stairs.

She ascended slowly; her head drooping, her mind still preoccupied.
Arrived at the first landing, a sound of footsteps disturbed her. She
looked up--and found herself face to face with Mr. Le Frank, leaving the
schoolroom after his music lesson. At that sudden discovery, a cry of
alarm escaped her--the common little scream of a startled woman. Mr. Le
Frank made an elaborately formal bow: he apologised with sternly stupid
emphasis. "I _beg_ your pardon."

Moved by a natural impulse, penitently conscious of those few foolish
words of hers which he had so unfortunately overheard, the poor girl
made an effort to conciliate him. "I have very few friends, Mr. Le
Frank," she said timidly. "May I still consider you as one of them? Will
you forgive and forget? Will you shake hands?"

Mr. Le Frank made another magnificent bow. He was proud of his voice. In
his most resonant and mellifluous tones, he said, "You do me honour--"
and took the offered hand, and lifted it grandly, and touched it with
his lips.

She held by the baluster with her free hand, and controlled the
sickening sensation which that momentary contact with him produced.
He might have detected the outward signs of the struggle, but for an
interruption which preserved her from discovery. Mrs. Gallilee was
standing at the open library door. Mrs. Gallilee said, "I am waiting for
you, Mr. Le Frank."

Carmina hurried up the stairs, pursued already by a sense of her own
imprudence. In her first confusion and dismay, but one clear idea
presented itself. "Oh!" she said, "have I made another mistake?"

Meanwhile, Mrs. Gallilee had received her music-master with the nearest
approach to an indulgent welcome, of which a hardened nature is capable.

"Take the easy chair, Mr. Le Frank. You are not afraid of the open
window?"

"Oh, dear no! I like it." He rapidly unrolled some leaves of music
which he had brought downstairs. "With regard to the song that I had the
honour of mentioning--"

Mrs. Gallilee pointed to the t