her country neighbours; while the staple of talk was nearly
the same. A small sort of gossip and remark, with commentary, on other
people and other people's doings, past, present, and to come. It had no
interest whatever to Lois's mind, neither subject nor treatment. But
the _manner_ to-day gave her something to think about. The manner was
different; and the manner not of talk only, but of all that was done.
Not so did Shampuashuh discuss its neighbours, and not so did
Shampuashuh eat bread and butter. Shampuashuh ways were more rough,
angular, hurried; less quietness, less grace, whether of movement or
speech; less calm security in every action; less delicacy of taste. It
must have been good blood in Lois which recognized all this, but
recognize it she did; and, as I said, every now and then an involuntary
thought of it came over the girl. She felt that she was unlike these
people; not of their class or society; she was sure they knew it too,
and would act accordingly; that is, not rudely or ungracefully making
the fact known, but nevertheless feeling, and showing that they felt,
that she belonged to a detached portion of humanity. Or they; what did
it matter? Lois did not misjudge or undervalue herself; she knew she
was the equal of these people, perhaps more than their equal, in true
refinement of feeling and delicacy of perception; she knew she was not
awkward in manner; yet she knew, too, that she had not their ease of
habit, nor the confidence given by knowledge of the world and all other
sorts of knowledge. Her up-bringing and her surroundings had not been
like theirs; they had been rougher, coarser, and if of as good
material, of far inferior form. She thought with herself that she would
keep as much out of their company as she properly could. For there was
beneath all this consciousness an unrecognized, or at least
unacknowledged, sense of other things in Lois's mind; of Mr. Caruthers'
possible feelings, his people's certain displeasure, and her own
promise to her grandmother. She would keep herself out of the way; easy
at Appledore--

"Have I found you, Miss Lothrop?" said a soft, gracious voice, with a
glad accent.

CHAPTER XIV.

WATCHED.

"Have I found you, Miss Lothrop?"

Looking over her shoulder, Lois saw the handsome features of Mr.
Caruthers, wearing a smile of most undoubted satisfaction. And, to the
scorn of all her previous considerations, she was conscious of a flush
of pleasure