titude was a feeling of resentment.

However, she read the letter to Vava, who by no means shared this
resentment. 'Sending us some surplus furniture which is not wanted up
there, and will nearly furnish our little house, is he? That's the
Montague Joneses, you may be sure, Stella. How nice and thoughtful of
them! I wonder if Mr. James Jones is any relation of theirs?'

Now this thought had come into Stella's mind too; but she replied, 'I
don't think so. He would probably have mentioned it, and been rather
proud of the fact that some of his family owned Lomore.'

'I don't believe he would mention it; he is too much of a gentleman,'
maintained Vava stoutly.

'Mr. James Jones?' questioned Stella, lifting her eyebrows at this
championship.

'Yes, and I want to know if he may teach me algebra?' continued Vava.

Stella, as has been said, was a slow thinker, and the junior partner as
a mathematical master was a novel and strange idea which she did not
take in at once. 'I don't understand. How can Mr. Jones teach you
algebra?' she inquired at length.

'Quite well; he explained a difficult rule to me in about ten minutes
last Saturday,' said Vava.

'You surely don't imagine that Mr. Jones has time to teach you
mathematics in office hours? And he certainly can't teach you out of
them,' objected Stella.

'He has plenty of time; he says he's always slack on Saturday mornings
after he has given you the letters, and he will teach me for
half-an-hour if you will let him,' explained Vava.

Miss Wharton did not like the idea somehow. She did not want to be under
an obligation to her employer; nor did she like to own to herself, far
less to Vava, that the reason of her objection was a feeling that it was
'because he thought she was pretty.' However, as she could not give this
reason, and had no other, she said reluctantly, 'It is very kind of Mr.
Jones, but you must not take advantage of his good-nature; you must only
come occasionally, not every Saturday.' Stella consoled herself with the
thought that when they were in their new house Vava would no longer want
to come to the City with her, but would prefer to stay with Doreen
Hackney. Again it occurred to her to wonder how Mr. Jones knew they were
going to Blackstead, and she felt rather annoyed at his impertinent
curiosity, in consequence of which her manner was so reserved, not to
say forbidding, that Mr. Jones in his turn wondered what was the matter
with his secretary,