raised astonished
eyebrows. Then, however, she shook hands with him.

"I think you know Mr. Herries."

Maurice bowed stiffly across the table; Herries replied in kind,
without discommoding himself.

"How d'ye do? I believe we've met," he said carelessly.

As Maurice made no rejoinder, but remained standing in an
uncompromising attitude, Herries turned to Louise again, and went on
with what he had been saying. He was talking of England.

"I went back to Oxford after that," he continued. "I've diggings there,
don't you know? An old chum of mine's a fellow of Magdalen. I was just
in time for eights' week. A magnificent walk-over for our fellows. Ever
seen the race? No? Oh, I say, that's too bad. You must come over for
it, next year."

"Mr. Herries only returned from England a few days ago," explained
Louise, and again raised warning brows. "Do sit down. There's a chair."

"Yes. I was over for the whole summer. Didn't work here at all, in
fact," added Herries, once more letting his bright eyes snapshot the
young man, who, on sitting down, laid his shabby felt hat in the middle
of the table.

"But now you intend to stay, I think you said?" Louise threw in at
random, after they had waited for Maurice to fill up the pause.

"Yes, for the winter semester, anyhow. And I've got to tumble to, with
a vengeance. But I mean to have a good time all the same. Even though
it's only Leipzig, one can have a jolly enough time."

Again there was silence. Louise flushed. "I suppose you're hard at work
already?"

"Yes. Got started yesterday. Frogs, don't you know?--the effect of a
rare poison on frogs."

This trivial exchange of words stung Maurice. Herries's manner seemed
to him intolerably familiar, lacking in respect; and he kept telling
himself, as he listened, that, having returned from England, the
fellow's first thought had been of her. He had not opened his lips
since entering; he sat staring at them, forgetful of good manners; and,
after a little, both began to feel ill at ease. Their eyes met for a
moment in this sensation, and Herries cleared his throat.

"What did you do with yourself in summer?" he queried, and could not
restrain a smile, at the fashion in which the other fellow was giving
himself away. "You weren't in England at all, I think you said? We
hoped we might meet there, don't you remember? Too bad that I had to go
off without saying good-bye."

"No, I changed my mind and stayed here. But I shouldn't