Such a tiny white face it was, and the dark tumbled curls that framed it, seemed to make it whiter in contrast. The lips began to quiver and the eyes till up with tears; but as he waited for the inevitable childish wail to follow, he was astonished to see the tiny gloves brushed across the face, and the child stand erect with an unsteady smile. "I won't cry," she said, looking at him gravely. "Will you catch my umbrella?" And when that somewhat difficult feat was accomplished, he found that she had picked up her books, and with a pursed up determined mouth was marching steadily forward again. "I will hold the umbrella over you," he said; "we are going the same way. How far have you to walk? Are you going to school? It is too rough a morning for you to be out." "That's what mother thought, but Becca said 'no'—that rough days made things hardy, and I must learn to endure. And I haven't missed a day since I began to go to school." "What do you learn? Your A B C?" "No," the child responded gravely; "I can read, but there seems a lot to learn, doesn't there? I never knew the world was so big till I went to school. How long did you take to learn the world?" "I never learnt it at school," the young man said with a smile. "Becca says it's what I shall have to learn. She says jography is knowing the places in the world, and history is knowing the people in the world, and sums is knowing how to do business in the world, and music is knowing how to amuse people in the world." "Your Becca must be a character. Is she your sister?" "Oh no, she is older than mother. She's our nurse, I think, though we don't call her 'nurse.' She nursed me when I was a baby, and now she nurses mother when she is ill. Becca does everything, and mother and I do what she tells us." "And it is Becca who turns you out for a mile walk on a stormy morning like this!" "Yes," said the child, softly. "Becca says if you begin a thing you must go on with it. And you see, I shall have to learn as quick as I can, for I mean to be a governess and make money for mother!" "Good Heavens!" was the ejaculation. "You ought to be in the nursery, instead of talking about making money!" There was silence after this. The little maiden stole furtive glances up at her new friend through her long eyelashes, wondering if he were displeased with her. She had hard work to keep pace with his rapid strides, and presently heaved a deep sigh. "I would like my umbrella again, please!" "Eh? What? Ah, I see! I am going too fast for you; but I have plenty of time, so take your own pace. How long have you been living opposite to me?" "We came here a week yesterday from London. Mrs. Stock, my schoolmistress, used to be mother's governess. She lets me come to her school without paying much. I like her, but the other girls are afraid of her. I'm afraid of the girls. I don't like children, I think." "Who do you like?"