'What can have put such ideas in your head ?--you have only seen her twice: you could not expect her to smile in church.' Max seemed so thoroughly put out by my remark that I thought it better to qualify my speech.

'Most likely Miss Darrell had been nagging at her.' His face cleared up directly.

'Depend upon it, that was the reason she looked so grave,' he said, with an air of relief.

'Miss Darrell can say ill-tempered things sometimes.

Miss Hamilton is never as lively as Miss Elizabeth; she is always quiet and thoughtful; some girls are like that, they are not sparkling and frothy.' I let him think that I accepted this statement as gospel, but in my heart I thought I had never seen a sadder face than that of Gladys Hamilton; to me it looked absolutely joyless, as though some strange blight had fallen on her youth.