The Democratic advocate., 1889-02-02

theory could not follow my own argu
ment He grew more grave and quiet an
slow The lump in my throat grew large
every moment If had been brought u
in a family of girls should have burs
into tears before him. | sat still am
looked at my brown fingers clasping on
another, and answered briefly.
At last he pushed back his chair a little
and gave me my paper folded.
"You will have to read very steadily
Miss Chrystal
eyes, | said, in a small voice
"For some months.
"YeS," | said again.
''The rest of the class are far ahead oi
you"
'Ies-yes-I know | said.
He seemed to have nothing more whole
somely humiliatiDg, to say to me; and
understood that the interview might end
and rose to go. He rose too, Immediately
Most of our lecturers nodded at us and sat
still Mr.. Tudor conceded something to
my girlhood; he stood when l stood, and
remained standing as he continued to speak
to me. He threw out crumb of praise
"Your style is clear" he said When
you deal with subjects within your grasp
when you do not get out of your depth
your style is clear decidedly. Not an alto
gether historical style, but lucid
felt that, on the whole, his blame had
been less humiliating than his praise. lie
held open the door for me, and shook hands
gravely, with quiet smile.
Good afternoon, he said
''Good afternoon, | replied, and | fed.
The girls had invaded my study, and
were lazily stretched on my bed and win
dow seat and rug, waiting for me.
"Well?" they said.
| sat down beside Claudia on the hearth
rug and tore my corrected paper into small
atoms aud burnt them. II hate him, |
said, poking the FIRE vigorously and pushing
the smoldering paper into the fames-"I
hate him He thinks me coueeitedl He
thinks me horridl He tries to be satirical
because be thinks me pulled up. Helaughs
at me- saw it in his eyes-more than
once-always-every time | looked at him.
said-I said he blushed-I said he thought
of me as q girl said he blusbed because
spoke to him. And he despises mel
And he viii never, never forget
Aud there forgot that belonged to
family Of boys where no one ever wept,
and burst into sudden tears; and Claudia,
Nell and Lottie fell to comforting me-
As the weeks went on | grew more and
more convinced that l hated and always
should hate hr Tudor; that he thought
me young, ignorant, stupid, fippant, spoilt
and eoueei,ed; that he despised my intellect
remembered my foolish speeches, and
always would remember them. His eyes
had way of twinkling when he looked at
me and looked away again; all the perplex-
iug questions seemed 10 fall 20 me, and his
lips switehed when spoke Of gavelkind as
custom duty, and found Wolsey guilty
under the statue of purveyanee. He seem
cd 10 enjoy my blHnders; the worst mis-
takes Of Claudia, Nell and Lottie never
provoked in him even temptation to smile.
But the bad half hour in nv week was
on Saturday afternoons when ! went alone
TO him, aud sat by his side while he spread
out that weeks history paper Of mine be-
fore him, aud commented on its faults aud
required an explanation of its antiquities,
and waited patiently with most courteous
attention for my answers. Now and then
glaneing up at him quickly, | caught a
CLEAN Of laughter deep down in his eyes
Yet when he spoke his voice was slow and
grave and weighty.
Il was a Saturday afternoon in the mid
die Of the term. | sat beside him al the
table, listening meekly to his criticisms.
"Yoa miss the point here, Miss Chrys-
tai.
YES, Mr. Tudor
and here you speak of impeachment as
though it were procedure by bin.
YES, Mr.. Tudor
That is a somewhat grave mistake.
| could not acquiesce again. Aud the
monoSyllable yes was the only form Of
answer tha, came TO me.
"And here, / think, you were required
to discuss the constitutional importance OF
I these events?
les, MIR. Tudor.
You have not done 50, Miss Chrystal y
''No-I am afraid am afraid not
sIou mistook the question, possibly?
lie was looking gravely at me, waiting,
Ny spoken answer, ike my written answer
was not very much to the point. spoke
desperately
.What Is the good of it alp | said.
What does it matter about the Judicial
system, and who has the control of taxa
I tiou?" What does it matter about the Par
lament and the courts aud all the dull old
laws? One can't really care for the con-
s,itution
had time while he sat surveying me to
feel ashamed of my babyish, passionate
speech
"What made you think of deyoting
yourself to the study of constitutional his
tory he said, with gentle surprise. Hi
gentleuess seemed ike satire My eyes, in
spite of myself, suddenly filed with tears
Suddenly he looked away from me- H'
asked me no more questions. For the mex
FIVE minutes he talked rapidly without {
pause. When | resolutel ly bhnked back
my tears aud glanced at him, he was dill
gently dis6guring my history paper witt
crooked circles, and his face was less browr
than ruddy.
After that day his eyes ceased TO twinkle
when he looked at me; he passed me ovel
in class, and put the puzzling questions tC
Nell and Claudia, aud was almost gentle
when went alone to him. He gave W
asking me to expound this theory and thai
argument which he had failed to follow
and when he was forced to condemn my
work, he worded his blame mildly anC
looked away as he spoke.
'He has forgiven you, Cis, said tn
girls. "He completely ignores you now
for which you are thankful, Cis, are yor
not"
every thankful" l said said it i'm
pressively, for needed to convince mysel
as well as the girls.
| was inconsistent, for | began to wisl
that he would find me amusing again, anC
to feel pangs of disappointment in clas
when he passed me over, and to desire
with quite unreasonable eagerness, that he
should look at me again, even if his eye
should have laughter in their depth.
But every week the laughter seemc'
further away And if he was grave il
class he was nrayer still on SATURDAYS HI