dly have known you. She looks almost grown up, does she not, Miss
Ross?'

His manner had changed in a moment. He looked bright and animated; his
slight gravity vanished. It was Audrey who became suddenly embarrassed;
the eager look with which the young man had greeted her had not been
unnoticed by her. Cyril's dark eyes were very expressive. More than once
during the last day or two Audrey had innocently intercepted those
strange, searching glances, and they vaguely disturbed her.

'It is very good of you to take all this trouble with Mollie,' continued
Cyril, as he walked beside her towards the house. 'I need not ask if she
has been happy--eh, Mollie?'

'I have had a lovely time!' exclaimed Mollie, almost treading on Cyril's
heels in her excitement. 'Oh, Cyril, do ask Miss Ross to take you in the
canoe to Deep-water Chine! It is such a delicious place! The trees dip
into the water, and the birds come down to drink and bathe; and we saw
a water-rat and a water-wagtail, and there was the cuckoo; and we could
hear the cooing of the wood-pigeons whenever we were silent; and, oh! it
was paradise!'

'I can believe it,' returned Cyril, in a low voice.

'Mr. Blake,' asked Audrey hastily, 'why is it that you are not on the
cricket-field with the boys?'

'Conybeare has taken my place. A lot of the boys were kept in, which
means I was a prisoner too. I have only just opened the gaol-door to the
poor wretches. If you want to see a heart-breaking sight, Miss Ross--one
sad enough to touch the stoniest heart--go into the schoolroom on a
half-holiday on a summer's afternoon when half a dozen boys are kept in
for lessons returned. The utter misery depicted on those boys' faces is
not to be described.'

'I should just shut up their books and tell them to be off.'

'I daresay you would,' with an amused look at her. 'I can well imagine
that that would be Miss Ross's _role_. We masters have to harden our
hearts; "discipline must be maintained," as that delightful old fellow
in _Bleak House_ used to say; bad work brings its own punishment.'

'You are as stern as Captain Burnett. By the bye, where is Michael?'

'He has gone out with Dr. Ross. That is why Mrs. Ross wants me to make
myself useful'--and Cyril did make himself useful.

Some more visitors dropped in, Geraldine amongst them. She had finished
her business in the town, had paid a couple of calls, and now looked in
on her way home. Somehow, Woodcote was always on the way