eyes, and took
her hand warmly, hoping she might find all the happiness she deserved.
Then he turned to Dudley Venner, and said, "She is a queen, but has never
found it out. The world has nothing nobler than this dear woman, whom
you have discovered in the disguise of a teacher. God bless her and
you!"

Dudley Venner returned his friendly grasp, without answering a word in
articulate speech.

Silas remained dumb and aghast for a brief space. Coming to himself a
little, he thought there might have been some mistake about the
items,--would like to have Miss barley's bill returned,--would make it
all right,--had no idee that Squire Venner had a special int'rest in Miss
barley,--was sorry he had given offence,--if he might take that bill and
look it over--

"No. Mr. Peckham," said Mr. Dudley Venner, "there will be a full meeting
of the Board next week, and the bill, and such evidence with reference to
the management of the Institution and the treatment of its instructors as
Mr. Langdon sees fit to bring forward will be laid before them."

Miss Helen Darley became that very day the guest of Miss Arabella
Thornton, the Judge's daughter. Mr. Bernard made his appearance a week
or two later at the Lectures, where the Professor first introduced him to
the reader.

He stayed after the class had left the room.

"Ah, Mr. Langdon! how do you do? Very glad to see you back again. How
have you been since our correspondence on Fascination and other curious
scientific questions?"

It was the Professor who spoke,--whom the reader will recognize as
myself, the teller of this story.

"I have been well," Mr. Bernard answered, with a serious look which
invited a further question.

"I hope you have had none of those painful or dangerous experiences you
seemed to be thinking of when you wrote; at any rate, you have escaped
having your obituary written."

"I have seen some things worth remembering. Shall I call on you this
evening and tell you about them?"

"I shall be most happy to see you."

This was the way in which I, the Professor, became acquainted with some
of the leading events of this story. They interested me sufficiently to
lead me to avail myself of all those other extraordinary methods of
obtaining information well known to writers of narrative.

Mr. Langdon seemed to me to have gained in seriousness and strength of
character by his late experiences. He threw his whole energies into his
studies with an effe