and with natural politeness they respected it. Her knowledge
commanded their esteem when she taught them; her gentleness attracted
their regard; and because she was what they considered wise and good
when _on_ duty, they kindly overlooked her evident timidity when off.
They did not take advantage of it. Peasant girls as they were, they had
too much of our own English sensibility to be guilty of the coarse
error. They stood round her still, civil, friendly, receiving her slight
smiles and rather hurried efforts to converse with a good feeling and
good breeding--the last quality being the result of the first--which
soon set her at her ease.

Mr. Sam Wynne coming up with great haste, to insist on the elder girls
joining in the game as well as the younger ones, Caroline was again left
alone. She was meditating a quiet retreat to the house, when Shirley,
perceiving from afar her isolation, hastened to her side.

"Let us go to the top of the fields," she said. "I know you don't like
crowds, Caroline."

"But it will be depriving you of a pleasure, Shirley, to take you from
all these fine people, who court your society so assiduously, and to
whom you can, without art or effort, make yourself so pleasant."

"Not quite without effort; I am already tired of the exertion. It is but
insipid, barren work, talking and laughing with the good gentlefolks of
Briarfield. I have been looking out for your white dress for the last
ten minutes. I like to watch those I love in a crowd, and to compare
them with others. I have thus compared you. You resemble none of the
rest, Lina. There are some prettier faces than yours here. You are not a
model beauty like Harriet Sykes, for instance--beside her your person
appears almost insignificant--but you look agreeable, you look
reflective, you look what I call interesting."

"Hush, Shirley! you flatter me."

"I don't wonder that your scholars like you."

"Nonsense, Shirley! Talk of something else."

"We will talk of Moore, then, and we will watch him. I see him even
now."

"Where?" And as Caroline asked the question she looked not over the
fields, but into Miss Keeldar's eyes, as was her wont whenever Shirley
mentioned any object she descried afar. Her friend had quicker vision
than herself, and Caroline seemed to think that the secret of her eagle
acuteness might be read in her dark gray irides, or rather, perhaps, she
only sought guidance by the direction of those discriminating and
brill