When he ceased there was an awkward and significant silence, and the editor looked over at him and smiled and shook his head reprovingly. And then the President got up quickly and with a few graceful, apropos remarks restored good-humor, and taking the arm of the distinguished divine, led the way from the dining-hall to the reception-rooms, and people jostled each other good-naturedly, and edged themselves between chairs and tables to speak to acquaintances, and there was much laughter and questioning and exclamations of surprise and delight, until finally the long procession got itself outside the dining-hall into the big corridors. At the door Professor Arbuthnot caught sight of Miss Ellis again. She beckoned to the girl, who came quickly toward her. “I am tired and am going to my rooms for awhile, will you come?” The girl blushed again with pleasure and some embarrassment. “I should be delighted,” she said simply, and together they walked down the broad hallway. “It’s very good of you,” she broke in nervously, looking down at the small, quiet figure beside hers--she was head and shoulders taller than the Professor. “Not at all,” declared Miss Arbuthnot, kindly. “I want to see you--it has been a long while since you were a student here--four or five years I should say--and you recall other faces and times.” “It has been four years--I can hardly believe it,” said the girl, softly. She wondered vaguely what on earth Miss Arbuthnot could wish to see her for--she had been anything but a favorite with the faculty as a student, but she felt very much flattered and very nervous at the attention bestowed upon her. When she reached Professor Arbuthnot’s rooms, the embarrassment she had felt at being noticed by so distinguished a member of the faculty visibly increased. [Illustration: “IT HAS BEEN A LONG WHILE SINCE YOU WERE A STUDENT HERE”] The place was typical--the absence of all ornament and feminine bric-à-brac--the long rows of book-shelves filled with the most advanced works on natural sciences, the tables piled up with brochures and scientific magazines, enveloped her in an atmosphere of profound learning quite oppressive. She had never been in the room but once before, and that was on a most inauspicious occasion--just after the mid-year’s. She wondered uneasily, and yet with some amusement, if Professor Arbuthnot remembered the circumstance. But that lady was not thinking of the young girl. She was busy with her mail, which had just been brought in, opening and folding up letter after letter in a quick, methodical way. “More work for me,” she said, smiling; “here is an invitation to deliver six lectures on electro-optics.” The girl looked at her admiringly. “Absolutely I’ve forgotten the very meaning of the words; and as for lecturing!” she broke off with a little laugh. “Are you going to give them?”