The Two Magics

ning, had deeply disconcerted me. The first day had been, on the whole, as I have expressed, reassuring; but I was to see it wind up in keen apprehension. The postbag, that evening,-it came

ort-so great a one that I was a long time coming to it; took the unopened missive at last up to my room and only attacked it just before going to bed. I had better have let it wait till morning, fo

? The child's dism

; then, visibly, with a quick blankness, seemed

for the holidays. Miles m

ttention, she reddened.

solutely

e had turned from me; I saw them fill

er, had the effect of making her, without taking it, simply put her hands

ould, and opened my letter again to repeat it to her; then, faltering in the a

in her eyes. "Do th

meaning." Mrs. Grose listened with dumb emotion; she forbore to ask me what this meaning might be; so that, presently, to put th

s of simple folk, she suddenly flam

very fears made me jump to the absurdity of the idea. I found myself, to meet my friend

Grose, "to say such cruel things

it would be

beginning of a curiosity that, for all the next hours, was to deepen almost to pain. Mrs. Grose was aware, I could judge, of what she had produced

n her little way an extraordinary detachment from disagreeable duties, looking to me, however, with a great childish light that seemed to offer it as a mere result of the affection she had conceived for my person, which had r

ancy she rather sought to avoid me. I overtook her, I remember, on the staircase; we went down together, and at the bottom I detained he

his time, and very honestly, adopted an attitu

in. "Then you h

d, Miss, t

ed this. "You mean tha

boy f

ughty?" Then, keeping pace with her answer, "So do I!" I ea

ord left her at a loss. I

corrupt you?" She put the question with such a fine bold humour that, with a laugh, a littl

approached, I cropped up in another place

ung and pretty-almost as young and a

ty helped her!" I recollect throwing off

ked everyone!" She had no sooner spoken indeed than she

ut of whom did y

, but she colour

he ma

who

impression of her having accidentally said more than she meant; and I

right? She ne

I overcame it. "Was s

ry to be conscientious.

ot abo

"Well, Miss-she's gone

ply; but I thought it, after an instant, not oppose

e went

ie?" Mrs. Grose looked straight out of the window, but I felt that, hypothetically, I had a right to kn

she had put in had certainly given her a right. We had then a young woman-a nursemaid who had stayed on and who was a good girl and clever; and she took the c

is over. "B

ase, Miss," said Mrs. Gros