for the character in course of formation needs to be guarded by prickles.

However, on this day Undine was to be finished, for Gillian was in haste to begin Katharine Ashton, which would, she thought, be much more wholesome reality, so she went on later than usual, and came away at last, leaving her auditor dissolved in tears over poor Undine’s act of justice.

As Mrs. Giles, full of thanks, opened the little garden-gate just as twilight was falling, Gillian beheld Kalliope and Alexis White coming up together from the works, and eagerly met and shook hands with them.  The dark days were making them close earlier, they explained, and as Kalliope happened to have nothing to finish or purchase, she was able to come home with her brother.

Therewith Alexis began to express, with the diffidence of extreme gratitude, his warm thanks for the benefaction of books, which were exactly what he had wanted and longed for.  His foreign birth enabled him to do this much more prettily and less clumsily than an English boy, and Gillian was pleased, though she told him that her brother’s old ill-used books were far from worthy of such thanks.

‘Ah, you cannot guess how precious they are to me!’ said Alexis.  ‘They are the restoration of hope.’

‘And can you get on by yourself?’ asked Gillian.  ’Is it not very difficult without any teacher?’

‘People have taught themselves before,’ returned the youth, ’so I hope to do so myself; but of course there are many questions I long to ask.’

‘Perhaps I could answer some,’ said Gillian; ’I have done some classics with a tutor.’

‘Oh, thank you, Miss Merrifield,’ he said eagerly.  ’If you could make me understand the force of the aorist.

It so happened that Gillian had the explanation at her tongue’s end, and it was followed by another, and another, till one occurred which could hardly be comprehended without reference to the passage, upon which Alexis pulled a Greek Testament out of his pocket, and his sister could not help exclaiming—–­

’Oh, Alexis, you can’t ask Miss Merrifield to do Greek with you out in the street.’

Certainly it was awkward, the more so as Mrs. Stebbing just then drove by in her carriage.

‘What a pity!’ exclaimed Gillian.  ’But if you would set down any difficulties, you could send them to me by Kalliope on Sunday.’

‘Oh, Miss Merrifield, how very good of you!’ exclaimed Alexis, his face lighting up with joy.

But Kalliope looked doubtful, and began a hesitating ‘But—–­’

‘I’ll tell you of a better way!’ exclaimed Gillian.  ’I always go once a week to read to this Lilian Giles, and if I come down afterwards to Kalliope’s office after you have struck work, I could see to anything you wanted to ask.’

Alexis broke out into the most eager thanks.  Kalliope said hardly anything, and as they had reached the place where the roads diverged, they bade one another good-evening.