hat
he was "perfectly right, Mr. Lorrens." They were very respectful. The
teacher said that if August would not return home, he was willing to let
her stay at the cottage until such time as her uncle, who was absent,
returned, and he (the teacher) could talk the matter over with him. The
relations thought that that was the very best thing that could be done,
and thanked him. The aunt, two sisters, and as many of the others,
including the children, as were within sight or hail at the time--most
of them could not by any possible means have had the slightest
connection with the business in hand--accompanied the teacher to the
cottage. August took to the flax directly she caught sight of her
relations, and was with difficulty induced to return. There was a lot
of talk in Maori, during which the girl and her aunt shuffled and swung
round at the back of each other, and each talked over her shoulder, and
laughed foolishly and awkwardly once or twice; but in the end the girl
was sullenly determined not to return home, so it was decided that she
should stay. The schoolmistress made tea.

August brightened from the first day. She was a different girl
altogether. "I never saw such a change in a girl," said the young
schoolmistress, and one or two others. "I always thought she was a
good girl if taken the right way; all she wanted was a change and kind
treatment." But the stolid old Maori chairman of the school committee
only shrugged his shoulders and said (when the schoolmistress,
woman-like, pressed him for an opinion to agree with her own), "You can
look at it two ways, Mrs. Lorrens." Which, by the way, was about the
only expression of opinion that the teacher was ever able to get out of
him on any subject.

August worked and behaved well. She was wonderfully quick in picking up
English ways and housework. True, she was awkward and not over cleanly
in some things, but her mistress had patience with her. Who wouldn't
have? She "couldn't do enough" for her benefactress; she hung on her
words and sat at her footstool of evenings in a way that gladdened the
teacher's sentimental nature; she couldn't bear to see him help his wife
with a hat-pin or button--August must do it. She insisted on doing her
mistress' hair every night. In short, she tried in every way to show her
gratitude. The teacher and his wife smiled brightly at each other behind
her back, and thought how cheerful the house was since she came, and
wondered what they'd