rning I'll dictate that material, revised and shapen, to the
stenographer, who can then have the rest of the day to write it out
properly."

"A capital plan," said Walkirk, "and I shall be charmed to go with you."

I was indeed very anxious to leave Arden. I could not believe that
Mother Anastasia had ever imagined any of the stuff that Miss Laniston
had talked about, but she certainly had shown me that she was greatly
offended with me, and nothing offends me so much as to have people
offended with me. Such persons I do not wish to meet.

I did not immediately fix a date for my departure, for it was necessary
for me to consider my grandmother's feelings and welfare, and arrange to
make her as happy as possible while I should be gone. In the mean time,
it was of course necessary that I should take air and exercise; and
while doing this one morning in a pretty lane, just out of the village,
a figure in the House of Martha gray came into sight a little distance
ahead of me. Her back was toward me, and she was walking slower than I
was. "Now, then," thought I, "here is a proof of the awkwardness of my
position here. Even in a little walk like this, I must run up against
one of those sisters. I must pass her, or turn around and go back, for I
shall not slow up, and appear to be dogging her footsteps. But I shall
not turn back,--that does not suit me." Consequently I walked on, and
soon overtook the woman in gray. She did not turn her head as I
approached, for the sisters are taught not to turn their heads to look
at people. After all, it would be easy enough for me to adopt the same
rule, and to pass her without turning my head, or paying the slightest
attention to her. This was the manner indeed in which the general public
was expected to act toward the inmates of the House of Martha when met
outside their institution.

When I came up with her, I turned and looked into the bonnet. It was
Sylvia. As my eyes fell upon the face of that startled angel, my impulse
was to throw my arms around her, and rush away with her, gray bonnet,
shawl and all, to some distant clime where there were no Houses of
Martha, Mother Anastasias, or anything which could separate my dear love
and me; but I crushed down this mad fancy, smothered, as well as I
could, my wild emotions, and said, as calmly as possible,--

"Good morning, sister."

Over the quick flushes of her face there spread a smile of pleasure.

"I like that," she said; "I am gl