She stood still a minute to calm herself, then knocked at the Lodge gate.  Barker opened it with that look of grieved superior surprise with which he always obeyed any novel order, or watched the doing of any deed which he considered lowered the dignity of himself and the college.

“A beautiful morning, Barker!”

“Is it, ma’am?  So one of the bedmakers was a-saying;” as if to imply that bedmakers were the only women whose business it was to investigate the beauties of the morning.

Christian smiled; she knew she was not a favorite with him; indeed, no women were.  He declared that no petticoat ought ever to be seen within college boundaries.  But he was a decent man, with an overwhelming reverence for Dr. Grey; and so, though he was never too civil to herself, Christian felt a kindness for honest old Barker.

She was a minute or two late; the master had already left his study, and was opening the large book of prayers.  Nevertheless, he looked up with a smile, as he always did the instant his wife’s foot entered the door.  But his sister appeared very serious, and Miss Gascoigne’s aspect was a perfect thundercloud, which broke into lightning the instant prayers were over.

“I must say, Mrs. Grey, you have a most extraordinary propensity for morning walks.  I never did such a thing in all my life, nor Maria either.”

“Probably not,” answered Christian, as she took her seat before the urn, which gave her the one home-like feeling she had at the Lodge.  “Different people have different ways, and this has always been mine.”

“Why so?”

“Because it does me good, and harms nobody else,” said Christian, smiling.

“I doubt that, anyhow; you never will make me believe it can be good for you to do a thing that nobody else does—­to go wandering about streets and colleges when all respectable people are still in their beds.  To say the least of it, it is so very peculiar.”

The tone, more even than the words, made Christian flush up, but she did not reply.  She had already learned not to reply to these sharp speeches of Miss Gascoigne’s, which, she noticed, fell on every body alike.  “What Miss Grey bears, I suppose I can,” thought she to herself when many times during the last two weeks she had been addressed in a manner which somewhat surprised her, as being a mode of speech more fitting from a school-mistress to a naughty school-girl than from a sister to a young wife, or, indeed, from any lady to any other lady—­at least, according to her code of manners.

“You may talk as you like!” continued Miss Gascoigne, glancing at the far end of the room, where the master was deeply busied in searching for a book, “but I object to these morning walks; and I am certain Dr. Grey also would object, if he knew of them.”

“He does know.”

“And does he approve?  Impossible!  Only think, Maria, if our poor dear sister had done such a thing!”