by
the window pointing a pencil.

She started at being spoken to.

"They are full of life," she replied, in the low sad voice which was
natural to her.

"Which would all seem to be directed towards shortening that of
others," said Waymark, with a smile.

"They are intelligent," the governess ventured to suggest, after a
silence. "It would be a pleasure to teach them if they--if they were a
little more orderly."

"Certainly. If their parents had only common sense--"

He stopped. A flush had risen to the girl's face, and a slight
involuntary motion of her hand seemed to warn him. The reason was that
Mrs. Tootle stood in the doorway, to which he had his back turned. Miss
Enderby said a quick "good morning" and left him.

He was taking up some papers, preparatory to leaving the room, when he
noticed that the governess had left behind her a little book in which
she was accustomed to jot down lessons for the children. He took it up
and examined it. On the first page was written "Maud Enderby, South
Bank, Regent's Park." He repeated the name to himself several times.
Then he smiled, recalling the way in which the governess had warned him
that Mrs. Tootle could overhear what he said. Somehow, this slight
gesture of the girl's had seemed to bring them closer to each other;
there was an unpremeditated touch of intimacy in the movement, which it
pleased him to think of. This was by no means the first time that he
had stood with thoughts busied about her, but the brief exchange of
words and what had followed gave something of a new complexion to his
feelings. Previously he had been interested in her; her striking
features had made him wonder what was the history which their
expression concealed; but her extreme reticence and the timid coldness
of her look had left his senses unmoved. Now he all at once experienced
the awakening of quite a new interest; there had been something in her
eyes as they met his which seemed to desire sympathy; he was struck
with the possibilities of emotion in the face which this one look had
revealed to him. Her situation seemed, when he thought of it, to affect
him more strongly than hitherto; he felt that it would be more
difficult henceforth to maintain his calmness when he saw her insulted
by Mrs. Tootle or disrespectfully used by the children.

Nor did the new feelings subside as rapidly as they had arisen. At home
that night he was unable to settle to his usual occupations, and, as a
vi