his brothers and sisters with a much too knowing
grin. Waymark had contented himself with a slight bow, and at once bent
again over his work.

Very shortly the two eldest children, both girls, came in, and with
them their mother. The latter paid no attention to Waymark, but
proceeded to cross-examine the new governess as to her methods of
teaching, her experience, and so on, in the coarse and loud manner
which characterised Mrs. Tootle.

"You'll find my children clever," said Mrs. Tootle, "at least, that has
been the opinion of all their teachers hitherto. If they don't make
progress, it certainly will not be their own fault. At the same time,
they are high-spirited, and require to be discreetly managed. This, as
I previously informed you, must be done without the help of punishment
in any shape; I disapprove of those methods altogether. Now let me hear
you give them a lesson in geography."

Waymark retired at this juncture; he felt that it would be nothing less
than cruelty to remain. The episode, however, had lightened his day
with an interest of a very unusual kind. And so it was that, on the
following morning, not only the gleam of watery sunshine, but also the
thought of an hour to be spent in the presence of that timid face,
brought him on his way to the school with an unwonted resignation.
Unfortunately his drawing lessons were only given on two mornings in
the week. Still, there would be something in future to look forward to,
a novel sensation at The Academy.

CHAPTER IX

THE COUSINS

Harriet Smales had left home in a bad temper that Sunday afternoon, and
when she came back to tea, after her walk with Julian, her state of
mind did not appear to have undergone any improvement. She took her
place at the tea-table in silence. She and Mrs. Ogle were alone this
evening; the latter's husband--he was a journeyman printer, and left
entirely in his wife's hands the management of the shop in Gray's Inn
Road--happened to be away. Mrs. Ogle was a decent, cheerful woman, of
motherly appearance. She made one or two attempts to engage Harriet in
conversation, but, failing, subsided into silence, only looking askance
at the girl from time to time. When she had finished her tea and
bread-and-butter, Harriet coughed, and, without facing her companion,
spoke in rather a cold way.

"I may be late back to-night, Mrs. Ogle. You won't lock the door?"

"I sha'n't go to bed till eleven myself," was the reply.

"But