oftly to herself in the
flickering firelight.

Two days later came a delightful surprise. Evie and her late pupil were
sitting in the morning-room writing letters of thanks to the many donors
of Christmas presents, when the door opened and shut, and someone walked
into the room. It was such an ordinary, matter-of-fact entrance that
neither of the writers troubled to look up, taking it for granted that
the new-comer was Mrs Chester, who had left the room but a few minutes
before. Two minutes later, however, Evie finished her sheet and lifted
her eyes to make a casual remark, when she promptly fell back in her
chair with a shriek, and a hand pressed over her heart. Rhoda jumped up
in alarm, and then--was it a dream, or did a well-known figure really
lean up against the mantelpiece, in familiar, gentlemanly attitude, a
roguish smile curling the lips, and little eyes alight with mischief?

"Tom, Tom! Oh, Tom, you angel! Where in the world have you come from?"
cried Rhoda, rushing forward with outstretched arms, in a very whirlwind
of welcome. "How perfectly delicious to see you again, and what a
terrific start you gave me!"

"Oh, what a surprise!" chanted Tom easily, rubbing her cheeks as if to
wipe away the kisses pressed upon it, and advancing to greet Evie with a
nonchalance which for once was a trifle overdone, though neither of her
friends was in the least danger of mistaking her real feelings. "The
same to you, and many of them," she continued, sitting down without
waiting for an invitation, and smiling round in genial fashion. "It
really was as good as a play, standing there, and watching you two
scribbling away with faces as solemn as judges--and what a squeal Evie
gave! It made me jump in my skin! Yes; I'm visiting my female
relative, and determined to pay you a visit even if it were only for an
hour. It can't be much longer, for we have a tea fight on this
afternoon, when every spinster in the neighbourhood is coming to stare
at me and deliver her views on higher education. Such a lark! Some of
them strongly approve, and others object, and I agree with each in turn,
until the poor dears are so bamboozled they don't know what to do. They
think I am an amiably-disposed young person, but defective in brains,
and poor aunt Jim gets quite low in her mind, for she wants me to
impress them, and branch off into Latin and Greek as if they came more
naturally to me than English. I wish they did! It takes