assume, only in a more soft and languid manner, when any rare visitorsstrayed in to inspect the school. she knew at once it was the presentvicar\"s wife, her mother\"s successor; and she would hāve drawn backfrom the interview had it been possible; but in an instant she hadconquered this feeling, and modestly advanced, meeting many a brightglance of recognition, and hearing many a half-suppressed murmur of\"it\"s miss hale.\" the vicar\"s lady heard the name, and her manner atonce became more kindly. margaret wished she could hāve helpedfeeling that it also became more patronising. the lady held out a handto mr. bell, with-\"

your father, i presume, miss hale. i see it by the likeness. i am sure iam very glad to see you, sir, and so will the vicar be.\"

margaret explained that it was not her father, and stammered out thefact of his death; wondering all the time how mr. hale could hāve borneing to revisit helstone, if it had been as the vicar\"s lady supposed.

she did not hear what mrs. hepworth was saying, and left it to mr. bellto reply, looking round, meanwhile, for her old acquaintances.

\"ah! i see you would like to take a class, miss hale. i know it bymyself. first class stand up for a parsing lesson with miss hale.\"

poor margaret, whose visit was sentimental, not in any degreeinspective, felt herself taken in; but as in some way bringing her incontact with little eager faces, once well-known, and who had receivedthe solemn rite of baptism from her father, she sate down, half losingherself in tracing out the changing features of the girls, and holdingsusan\"s hand for a minute or two, unobserved by all, while the firstclass sought for their books, and the vicar\"s lady went as near as a ladycould towards holding mr. bell by the button, while she explained thephonetic system to him, and gāve him a conversation she had had withthe inspector about it.

margaret bent over her book, and seeing nothing but that--hearing thebuzz of children\"s voices, old times rose up, and she thought of them,and her eyes filled with tears, till all at once there was a pause--one ofthe girls was stumbling over the apparently simple word \"a,\" uncertainwhat to call it.

\"a, an indefinite article,\" said margaret, mildly.

\"i beg your pardon,\" said the vicar\"s wife, all eyes and ears; \"but we aretaught by mr. milsome to call \"a\" an--who can remember?\"

\"an adjective absolute,\" said half-a-dozen voices at once. and margaretsate abashed. the children knew more than she did. mr. bell turnedaway, and smiled.

margaret spoke no more during the lesson. but after it was over, shewent quietly round to one or two old fāvourites, and talked to them alittle. they were growing out of children into great girls; passing out of

her recollection in their rapid development, as she, by her three years\"

absence, was vanishing from theirs. still she was glad to hāve seenthem all again, though a tinge of sadness mixed itself with her pleasure.

when school was over for the day, it was yet early in the summerafternoon; and mrs. hepworth proposed to margaret that she and mr.

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