ll turn it?"

The black head threw itself up bravely and the fearless young eyes met
Miss Wing's pensive brown ones. "No, Miss Wing, I know it will make no
difference."

Miss Wing stifled a sigh; it may be that she was not so sure of the firm
purpose of a lover; she spoke more gently: "It is only the
disappointment, then, if you can't see him?"

The girl's face quivered a little.

"Perhaps I am foolish," said Miss Wing, "but I think it _would_ be a
disappointment very hard to bear. Still, you must admit that parents do
not send their children to school expecting them to become engaged to be
married; on the contrary, there is a tacit pledge that we shall protect
our wards from any entanglement. But this did not happen at school; the
only question is, ought I to prevent it going any farther? My dear, do
you have confidence in me?"

"Yes, Miss Wing," said the girl.

"Of course, I do not think that I ought to consent to your driving alone
together."

The girl drew a long sigh. "I suppose not," she breathed, in dismal
resignation.

"But I should like him to come here, to see me; and then, if I find him
to be what your father would approve, you may see him here; and we shall
all have to explain things together, I fancy, to your father."

The girl drew another, a very different, sigh, and impulsively kissed
Miss Wing's hand. She tried to speak, and could only murmur, "Oh, I do
love you!"

"And so, if you will tell Graf von Butler--what is his Christian name,
Florence?"

"Max," said the girl, very low, for she felt the presence of the
picture, on which she had not once turned her eyes. Before she spoke,
under a pretense of a pull at her skirt, she slipped her hand out of the
hand with the sapphire ring. Yet her excited young nerves vibrated at
the slight cough which came as the principal changed her position,
before she said, in her usual tone: "It is a fine name. Well, Florence,
you will tell Count Max von Butler that I shall hope to see him.
And--will you trust me?"

The girl told her that she would trust her utterly, and she knew that
it would be right; and oh, she was so happy. And she came back to say,
with the tears in her eyes, "I shall be grateful to you as long as I
live."

Miss Wing stood in the center of the room, smiling, until the door
closed. But then in a second she was at the door, almost fiercely, but
noiselessly, twisting the key in the lock. From the door she passed to
the windows and dropp