nd mysteries that trouble not, purveyors and Mussulmen,
eunuchs and seraglios, khans, mosques, drachmas--one has no idea what
they mean, nor does one care: on every hand in Life lie mysteries, why
not in books? The thing is, to seize upon the Story, and to let the
other go.

And so Emily Louise fails to answer to the baptismal fulness of her name
spoken from the platform, until at a neighbour's touch she springs up,
blushing.

[Illustration: "One finds one's self dreaming, and watching the clouds
through the school-room window."]

But, somehow, she did not take the reproach in Miss Amanda's voice to
heart; Miss Amanda was given to saying reproachfully, "Please,
p-ple-e-ase--young _la_dies," many times a day, but after a brief pause
one returned to pleasant converse with a neighbour.

Jokes were told about Miss Amanda among the girls, and, gathering at
recess about her desk, her pupils would banter Miss Amanda as to who was
her favourite, whereupon, she, pleased and flattered, would make long
and detailed refutation of any show of partiality.

Miss Amanda pinned a bow in her hair, and wore a chain, and rings, and
was given to frequent patting and pushing of her hair into shape; was it
possible Miss Amanda felt herself to be--_pretty_?

Ordinarily, however, Emily Louise did not think much about her one way
or another, except at those times when Miss Amanda tried to be funny;
then she quite hated her with unreasoning fierceness.

Right now Miss Amanda was desiring Emily Louise MacLauren to give
attention.

[Illustration: "Miss Amanda, pleased and flattered, would make long,
detailed refutation of any show of partiality."]

Once a week there was public recitation in the Chapel. Mr. Page
considered it good for boys and girls to work together, which was a new
way of regarding it peculiar to grammar school, for hitherto, boys,
like the skull and cross-bones bottles in Aunt Cordelia's closet, had
been things to be avoided.

[Illustration: "Hitherto boys, like skull and cross-bones bottles, had
been things to be avoided."]

"To-morrow," Miss Amanda was explaining, "the chapel recitation will be
in grammar; you will conjugate," Miss Amanda simpered, "the verb--to
love," with playful meaning in her emphasis; "but I need have no fear,
young ladies," archly, "that you will let yourselves be beaten at this
lesson."

[Illustration: "After one has learned to smile out one's eyes, a
dividing line of aisle is soon bridged