," but though Marcus laughed he did
not contradict this.

The new friendship gave Olivia a great deal of pleasure. Since her
school-days she had never enjoyed the society of anyone of her own age.
The hard-working young governess had had scant leisure for cementing
intimacies.

It had always been a wonder to her how Marcus had managed his courting,
and she often told him so. She had met him at the house of one of her
pupils, and, it being a wet day, he had offered his umbrella, and
walked back with her to her lodgings.

She had a vague idea that he had detained her for such a long time
talking on the doorstep that her mother had come down and invited him
to wait until the rain was over, but Marcus always repudiated this, and
declared that she had talked so fast that he found it impossible to get
away; but after this he and her mother had seemed to play into each
other's hands.

Perhaps under other circumstances Olivia would hardly have found Miss
Williams so attractive and interesting, for, though amiable and
affectionate, she was by no means clever. Her accomplishments
consisted in a tolerable knowledge of French and Italian picked up
abroad, but she had no decided tastes. She read little, knew nothing
of music, and her chief pleasure seemed the care of her flowers and her
beautiful needlework, for some French nuns had taught her embroidery
and lace-making. Olivia, who was intellectual and well read, and who
thought deeply on most subjects, had soon reached the limits of Greta's
knowledge, but happily there is culture of the heart as well as of the
head.

Greta had plenty of sweet, womanly virtues. She was patient by nature
and capable of much long-suffering and endurance. Her affections were
warm and deep, but she had hitherto found no fitting scope for them.
The sad grey eyes told their own story: her youthful bloom had been
wasted amid sterile surroundings. Greta Williams had one of those
strong womanly characters that are meant to be the prop of weaker
natures, that are veritable towers of strength in hours of adversity.
It was for this that Olivia grew to love her when she knew her better.

"She is so patient," she said once when she was discussing her with
Mrs. Broderick. "She has so much staying power, and then she never
quite loses her faith in anyone, however hopeless they seem. Even
Marcus has said more than once that her pluck is wonderful, but of
course it wears her out."

"You must brin