ears wider.

One day when "Aunt Margaret" had invited her to a _tete-a-tete_ in the
boudoir, it occurred to Cornelia, in the wisdom of her heart, to take
advantage of the opportunity to introduce the subject. She was a widow:
was very good-natured; would be sure not to laugh at her, and could
hardly help knowing as much as the young ladies knew.

"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Vanderplanck, as Cornelia entered, "such a
relief--such a _refreshment_ to look at that sweet face of yours! There!
I must have my _kiss_, you know. Yes, I was just thinking of you, my
love--so longing to have a quiet _chat_ with you--your dear
father!--such a _grand_ man he is! _such genius_! Oh! _I_ was his
devoted. Tell me all about him, and that sweet _home_ of yours, and
_dear_ little Sophie, too. Oh! I was so shocked, so terrified, to hear
of her illness; and--let me see!--oh, yes, and that new pupil your papa
has--Mr. Bressant--_how_ is he? _does_ he behave well? _is_ he pleasant?
_do_ you see much of him? _does_ he keep himself quiet?--such a--"

"Why! how did you know about him?" interrupted Cornelia, into Mrs.
Vanderplanck's ever-ready ear-trumpet. "Is he a relation of yours, or
any thing?"

Aunt Margaret stopped short, and pressed her thin, wide lips together.
She had never imagined but that Professor Valeyon had told his daughters
through whose immediate instrumentality it was that Bressant made his
appearance at the Parsonage; but finding, from Cornelia's questions,
that this was not so, she bethought herself that it might be well for
her young guest to remain in ignorance, at least for the present. It was
not too late, and, after a scarcely-perceptible pause, she made answer:

"It was in your dear papa's _answer_ to my invitation, my love. Oh! so
shocked I was dear little Sophie couldn't come--lay awake _all_ that
night with a headache--yes, _indeed_!--when he _wrote_ to me, you
know--such a dear, noble letter it _was_, too! Oh! I read it over a
dozen--_twenty_ times at least!--he mentioned this new pupil of
his--seemed interested in him--of course I _can't_ help being interested
in whatever interests any of you dear ones, you know--he mentioned his
strange name and all--it _is_ a strange name, isn't it, love?"

"It isn't his real name," interposed Cornelia; "nobody except papa knows
who he is. It's just like one of those ancient names, you know--the
Christian name and the surname in one."

"Oh, yes, I see--so odd, isn't it?--such a _m