became more lenient and genial.) He fully recognized her high and noble office; he saw in her the worthy successor of those two famous instructresses of Athens—­those Greek ladies—­er—­whose names had escaped his memory, but which—­er—­no doubt Miss Prinkwell would be glad to recall to her pupils, with some account of their lives. (Miss Prinkwell colored; she had never heard of them before, and even the delight of the class in the colonel’s triumph was a little dampened by this prospect of hearing more about them.) But the colonel was only too content with seeing before him these bright and beautiful faces, destined, as he firmly believed, in after years to lend their charm and effulgence to the highest places as the happy helpmeets of the greatest in the land.  He was—­er—­leaving a—­er—­slight testimonial of his regard in the form of some—­er—­innocent refreshments in the hands of his ward, who would—­er—­act as—­er—­his proxy in their distribution; and the colonel sat down to the flutter of handkerchiefs, an applause only half restrained, and the utter demoralization of Miss Prinkwell.

But the time of his departure had come by this time, and he was too experienced a public man to risk the possibility of an anticlimax by protracting his leave-taking.  And in an ominous shining of Pansy’s big eyes as the time approached he felt an embarrassment as perplexing as the odd presentiment of loneliness that was creeping over him.  But with an elaborate caution as to the dangers of self-indulgence, and the private bestowal of a large gold piece slipped into her hand, a promise to come again soon, and an exaction that she would write to him often, the colonel received in return a wet kiss, a great deal of wet cheek pressed against his own, and a momentary tender clinging, like that which attends the pulling up of some small flower, as he passed out into the porch.  In the hall, on the landing above him, there was a close packing of brief skirts against the railing, and a voice, apparently proceeding from a pair of very small mottled legs protruding through the balusters, said distinctly, “Free cheers for Ternel Tarbottle!” And to this benediction the colonel, hat in hand, passed out of this Eden into the world again.

The colonel’s next visit to the seminary did not produce the same sensation as the first, although it was accompanied with equal disturbance to the fair principals.  Had he been a less conceited man he might have noticed that their antagonism, although held in restraint by their wholesome fear of him, was in danger of becoming more a conviction than a mere suspicion.  He was made aware of it through Pansy’s resentment towards them, and her revelation of a certain inquisition that she had been subjected to in regard to his occupation, habits, and acquaintances.  Naturally of these things Pansy knew very little, but this had not prevented her from saying a great deal.  There had been enough in her questioners’ manner to make her suspect that her guardian was being attacked,