under a caressing hand.  Intimately as Miss Garth was acquainted with this peculiarity in her pupil, she now saw it asserting itself for the first time, in association with mental exertion of any kind on Magdalen’s part.  Feeling, therefore, some curiosity to know how long the combing and the studying had gone on together, she ventured on putting the question, first to the mistress; and (receiving no answer in that quarter) secondly to the maid.

“All the afternoon, miss, off and on,” was the weary answer.  “Miss Magdalen says it soothes her feelings and clears her mind.”

Knowing by experience that interference would be hopeless, under these circumstances, Miss Garth turned sharply and left the room.  She smiled when she was outside on the landing.  The female mind does occasionally—­though not often—­project itself into the future.  Miss Garth was prophetically pitying Magdalen’s unfortunate husband.

Dinner-time presented the fair student to the family eye in the same mentally absorbed aspect.  On all ordinary occasions Magdalen’s appetite would have terrified those feeble sentimentalists who affect to ignore the all-important influence which female feeding exerts in the production of female beauty.  On this occasion she refused one dish after another with a resolution which implied the rarest of all modern martyrdoms—­gastric martyrdom.  “I have conceived the part of Lucy,” she observed, with the demurest gravity.  “The next difficulty is to make Frank conceive the part of Falkland.  I see nothing to laugh at—­you would all be serious enough if you had my responsibilities.  No, papa—­no wine to-day, thank you.  I must keep my intelligence clear.  Water, Thomas—­and a little more jelly, I think, before you take it away.”

When Frank presented himself in the evening, ignorant of the first elements of his part, she took him in hand, as a middle-aged schoolmistress might have taken in hand a backward little boy.  The few attempts he made to vary the sternly practical nature of the evening’s occupation by slipping in compliments sidelong she put away from her with the contemptuous self-possession of a woman of twice her age.  She literally forced him into his part.  Her father fell asleep in his chair.  Mrs. Vanstone and Miss Garth lost their interest in the proceedings, retired to the further end of the room, and spoke together in whispers.  It grew later and later; and still Magdalen never flinched from her task—­still, with equal perseverance, Norah, who had been on the watch all through the evening, kept on the watch to the end.  The distrust darkened and darkened on her face as she looked at her sister and Frank; as she saw how close they sat together, devoted to the same interest and working to the same end.  The clock on the mantel-piece pointed to half-past eleven before Lucy the resolute permitted Falkland the helpless to shut up his task-book for the night.  “She’s wonderfully clever, isn’t she?” said Frank, taking leave of Mr. Vanstone at the hall door.  “I’m to come to-morrow, and hear more of her views—­if you have no objection.  I shall never do it; don’t tell her I said so.  As fast as she teaches me one speech, the other goes out of my head.  Discouraging, isn’t it?  Goodnight.”