At last he appeared at the door of the drawing-room, where Miss Charteris awaited him. He was very nervous. He repeated the substance of his letter, only rather less well expressed. He alluded to Miss Ann, and to the extreme happiness and pleasure to her of having Christobel as a sister. But he completely ignored, both in the letter and in conversation, Miss Ann's betrayal of Christobel's confidence. For this she was grateful to him. As soon as the Professor, having floundered through the unusual waters of expressed sentiment, stepped out on to the high and dry path of an actual question, Miss Charteris answered that question in the affirmative, and accepted the Professor's offer. He rose, and held her hand for a few moments, looking at her with great affection through his glasses, which did not at all impede the warmth of his regard; in fact, being powerful convex lenses, they magnified it. Then he kissed her rather awkwardly on the brow, and hurried back to his seat. A somewhat strained silence would have followed, had not the Professor had an inspiration. Drawing a book from his pocket, he looked at her as you look at a child for whom you have a delightful surprise in store. "That--er--matter being satisfactorily settled, my dear Christobel," he said, "should we not find it decidedly--er--refreshing to spend an hour over our Persian translation?" Miss Charteris agreed at once; but while the Professor read, translated, and expounded, expatiating on the interest and beauty of various passages, her mind wandered. She found herself picturing the Boy under similar circumstances; how the Boy would have behaved during the first hour of engagement; what the Boy would have said; what the Boy would have done. She was not quite sure what the Boy would have done; she had never experienced the Boy with the curb completely off. But she suddenly remembered: "Millions, or would it be billions?" and the recollection gave her a shock of such vivid reaction, that she laughed aloud. The Professor paused, and looked up in surprise. Then he smiled, indulgently. "My dear--er--Christobel, this passage is not intended to be humorous," he said. "I know it is not," replied Miss Charteris. "I beg your pardon. I laughed involuntarily." The Professor resumed his reading. No; she was not quite sure as to _all_ the Boy would have done; but she knew quite well what he would have said. And here the Boy, quite unexpectedly, took a First in classics; for what the Boy would have said would certainly have been Greek to the Professor. * * * * *