d not been so unintermittent as he had intimated?

There were still further surprises in store for Master Lionel. When at
length they encountered Miss Francie--how pretty she looked as she came
along the pathway through the gorse, in her simple costume of dark gray,
with a brown velvet hat and brown tan gloves!--it was in vain that he
tried to dissuade her from giving up the rest of the afternoon to her
small _proteges_. In the most natural way in the world she turned to
Maurice Mangan--and her eyes sought his in a curiously straightforward,
confiding fashion that caused Lionel to wonder.

"On Christmas-day, of all the days of the year!" she said, as if
appealing to Maurice. "Surely, surely, I must give up Christmas-day to
them! Oh, do you know, Mr. Mangan, there never was a happier present
than you thought of for the little blind boy who got his leg broken--you
remember? He learned almost directly how to do the puzzle; and he gets
the ring off so quickly that no one can see how it is done; and he
laughs with delight when he finds that any neighbor coming in can only
growl and grumble--and fail. I'm going there just now; won't you come?
And mind you be very angry when you can't get the ring off; you may use
any language you like about your clumsiness--poor little chap, he has
heard plenty of that in his time."

Maurice needed no second invitation; this was what he had come for; he
had found the sunlight to lighten up the Christmas-day withal; his face,
that was almost beautiful in its fine intellectuality, showed that
whenever she spoke to him. Lionel, of course, went with them.

And again it was Maurice Mangan whom Miss Francie addressed, as they
walked along to the village.

"Do you know, in all this blessed place, I can't find a copy of Mrs.
Hemans's poems; and I wanted you to read 'The Arab to his Horse'--is
that the title?--at my school-treat to-morrow. They would all understand
that. Well, we must get something else; for we're to make a show of
being educational and instructive before the romping begins. I think
the 'Highland Schottische' is the best of any for children who haven't
learned dancing; they can all jump about somehow--and the music is
inspiriting. The vicar's daughters are coming to hammer at the piano.
Oh, Mr. Mangan," she continued, still appealing to him, "do you think
you could tell them a thrilling folk-story?--wouldn't that be better?"

"Don't you want me to do something, Francie?" said Lio