“You’re leaving the college, aren’t you, Miss Keeves?” asked Bella.

“Yes, dear,” replied Mavis.

“Going to be married?” asked Mr. Goss, who secretly admired Mavis.

“I’m going to earn my living; at least, I hope so,” said Mavis.

“Haven’t you anything to do, then?” he asked.

“Nothing settled,” Mavis answered evasively.

“I suppose you wouldn’t care for anything in the theatrical line?”

Mavis did not think that she would.

“Or, if you want anything very badly, I might get you into a house of business.”

“Do you mean a shop?” asked Mavis.

“A big one where they employ hundreds,” said Goss apologetically.

“It’s awfully kind of you.  I’ll come to you if I really want anything badly.”  “Thank you, Miss Keeves.  Good night.”

“Good night.  Good night, Bella.”

Mavis hurried home and to bed, to be kept awake for quite two hours by fears of the unknown perils which might menace the independent course which she was about to travel.

Breakfast the next morning was a dismal meal.  Mavis was genuinely sorry to leave the old ladies, who had, in a large measure, taken the place of the parents she had lost.

They, on their part, were conscious of the break that Mavis’s departure would make in their lives.  All three women strove to conceal their distress by an affectation of cheerfulness and appetite.  But little was eaten or drunk.  Miss Annie Mee was so absent-minded that she forgot to spread any butter upon her toast.  The old ladies were leaving for Worthing soon after eleven.  Mavis purposed taking leave of them and Brandenburg College as soon after breakfast as she could get away.  When she rose from the table, Miss Helen Mee said: 

“I should like to see you in my study in five minutes from now.”

The study was a small-sized room, which was reached by descending two steps at the end of the hall further from the front door.  Mavis presented herself here at the expiration of the allotted time, where she found Miss Helen and Miss Annie solemnly seated behind the book-littered table, which stood in the middle of the room.

“Pray close the door,” said Helen.

“Please take a seat,” added Annie, when Mavis had obeyed the elder Miss Mee’s behest.

The girl sat down and wondered what was coming.  It was some moments before Helen spoke; she believed that delay would enhance the impressiveness of the occasion.

“Dear Mavis,” she presently began, “before I say a few parting words, in which my sister most heartily joins, words which are not without a few hints of kindly admonishment, that may help you along the path you have—­er—­elected—­yes, elected to pursue, I should like to press on you parting gifts from my sister and myself.”

Here she handed Mavis her treasured copy of The Stones of Venice, which contained the great Mr Ruskin’s autograph, together with a handsomely bound Bible; this latter was open at the fly-leaf.