fidence.
For this she was grateful to him.

As soon as the Professor, having floundered through the unusual waters
of expressed sentiment, stepped out on to the high and dry path of an
actual question, Miss Charteris answered that question in the
affirmative, and accepted the Professor's offer.

He rose, and held her hand for a few moments, looking at her with great
affection through his glasses, which did not at all impede the warmth
of his regard; in fact, being powerful convex lenses, they magnified
it. Then he kissed her rather awkwardly on the brow, and hurried back
to his seat.

A somewhat strained silence would have followed, had not the Professor
had an inspiration.

Drawing a book from his pocket, he looked at her as you look at a child
for whom you have a delightful surprise in store.

"That--er--matter being satisfactorily settled, my dear Christobel," he
said, "should we not find it decidedly--er--refreshing to spend an hour
over our Persian translation?"

Miss Charteris agreed at once; but while the Professor read,
translated, and expounded, expatiating on the interest and beauty of
various passages, her mind wandered.

She found herself picturing the Boy under similar circumstances; how
the Boy would have behaved during the first hour of engagement; what
the Boy would have said; what the Boy would have done. She was not
quite sure what the Boy would have done; she had never experienced the
Boy with the curb completely off. But she suddenly remembered:
"Millions, or would it be billions?" and the recollection gave her a
shock of such vivid reaction, that she laughed aloud.

The Professor paused, and looked up in surprise. Then he smiled,
indulgently.

"My dear--er--Christobel, this passage is not intended to be humorous,"
he said.

"I know it is not," replied Miss Charteris. "I beg your pardon. I
laughed involuntarily."

The Professor resumed his reading.

No; she was not quite sure as to _all_ the Boy would have done; but she
knew quite well what he would have said.

And here the Boy, quite unexpectedly, took a First in classics; for
what the Boy would have said would certainly have been Greek to the
Professor.

* * * * *

After this, events followed one another so rapidly that the whole thing
became dream-like to Miss Charteris. She found herself helpless in the
grip of Miss Ann's iron will--up to now, carefully shrouded in Shetland
and lace. At last