as the last thing in the world that he would do--watch her, but all
the same he wanted to know where she went, and if it was for a walk, why
he might turn up by accident just as she was coming back; and then, of
course, he could walk with her, and somehow, now that he had so far been
taken into her confidence in being trusted to change the school and club
money for her, it would be easy to win another step in advance.

"I lay twopence she walks out with me arm-in-arm before another month's
out," he said triumphantly; "and mother must get over it best way she
can."

All this while Hazel was some two hundred yards ahead, for the
schoolmaster did not attempt to overtake her, but merely noted where she
went, and followed.

"She's turned off by the low road," said Samuel Chute to himself.
"She's going by old Burge's. Well, that is the prettiest walk, and--of
course, I could go across by the footpath, and come out in the road this
side of Burge's, and meet her, and that would be better than seeming to
have followed her."

Acting upon this idea, Samuel Chute struck out of the main street and
went swiftly along a narrow lane, and then by the footpath over the
meadows to the road, a walk of a good mile and a half before he was out
into the winding road that led by Mr Burge's.

"She'll come upon me here, plump," he said with a laugh. "I wonder what
she'll say, and whether she'll look at me again in that pretty, shy way,
same as she did when I took the school pence! Hah, things are going on
right for you, my boy; and what could be better?"

There was no answer to his question, so Samuel Chute went on making
arrangements, like the Eastern man with his basket of crockery ware.

"I'll tell you what we'll do; we'll put both the old ladies together in
one house, while we live in the other. Nothing could be easier. I say,
isn't it time she was here?"

He glanced at his watch, and it certainly seemed to be time for Hazel to
have reached as far. She was not long, however, in appearing now round
the bend of the road, looking brighter and more attractive than Samuel
Chute had seen her yet, for there was a warm flush in her cheek, and her
eyes were sparkling and full of vivacity. But in spite of this the
schoolmaster drew his breath through his teeth with a spiteful hiss, and
as he leaned a little forward and stared at Hazel Thorne, his
countenance assumed the same ugly look, full of dislike and spite, that
had been seen in h