I almost laughed as I turned away my head to write my name.

I was amused, and at the same time I could not help feeling highly complimented.

It cannot but be grateful to the feelings of a young man to find that a very handsome woman objects to his making the acquaintance of an extremely pretty one.
When I laid down the pen she stepped up and looked at my name and address.
"Oh," said she, "you are the schoolmaster at Walford ?" She seemed to be pleased by this discovery, and smiled in a very engaging way as she said, "I am much interested in that school, for I received a great part of my education there." "Indeed!" said I, very much surprised.
"But I do not exactly understand.

It is a boys' school." "I know that," she answered, "but both boys and girls used to go there.

Now the girls have a school of their own." As she spoke I could not help contrasting in my mind what the school must have been with what it was now.
She stepped to the door and told a woman who was just entering the room to show me No.2.The woman said something which I did not hear, although her tones indicated surprise, and then conducted me to my room.
This was an exceedingly pleasant chamber on the first floor at the back of the house.