A Little Rebel

knew what te

rt from home

house, by

eps wou

th her, as Miss Majendie's invitations to supper, or indeed to luncheon, breakfast or

rd regularly every week, has learned to know and (I regret to s

ednesday following he has gone again. Indeed, to-day being Wednesday in the heart of June, he may be

ajendie and her niece, it becomes plain, even to his inexpe

under-cloud. Miss Majendie, sitting on the hardest chair this hideous ro

"As Perpetua's guardian, you may perhaps have some influence over her. I say 'perhaps' a

ofessor nervously-of Perp

says Perpe

l's downcast face, and then at Miss Maj

d her meagre shoulders, and a breath through her lean nostrils tha

women with "wrongs" are unknown to him, as are all other sorts of young women for the ma

I want to go out." Her lovely eyes are flashing, her face i

iss Majendie. "How unm

t her with large

" say

to take Perpetua for a walk-a drive-to-er-to some place or other-it might destroy this enn

inary proposal, you will wait some time," says Miss Majendie slow

ut

g him exhaustively through her glasses-"in yours, it was not customary for a young gentlewoman to go out walking,

that classing of her age with his, bu

am indeed so much older than she is, that I might be al

asses-a capital disguise! I mean nothing offensive-so far-sir, but it behoves me to be careful, and behi

poor professor, who is as red as tho

r. We were talking

W

lder than my niece, Miss Wynter, you could therefore escort her here

e professor, springing to his fe

says she. "Then yo

death. "Who can tell the age of any man in this degenerate age? We look at their faces, and say he must be so and so, and he

ient gesture. But Miss Majen

ed, I trust your age would place you outside of any such suspicion, still, I am bound to be careful where my niece's interests are concerned. You, as

ofessor, a little feebly, perhaps. That e

s," with a piercing and condemnatory glance, "are evidently not extreme. One word for all, Mr. Curzon, and this argument is

d. Good heavens! What an awful old woman! And to think that this poor child is under her care. He happens at this moment t

die, breaking through a mist of angry feeling that is

ly reserved. "I don't want to go for a walk at all." She pauses, and her voice chokes a little, and then suddenly she bre

y last Sunday I took you to Westminster Abbey, whe

r, sotto voce, with a wild but mad hope of

self singularly ungrateful. She turns upon hi

l tell you! I"-defiantly-"I don't want to go to

d said she wanted to go to the devil instead of to the theatre, she could ha

r can cast it out. And remember, this is the last word upon this subject. As long as you are under my

o go to the theatre, and to balls, and dances, and everything. I"-passionately, and with a most cruel, despairing lo

r own daring, and there is silence for a moment, a

' and your father only four months d

e sad changes in it. Perpetua is trembling from head to foot. A frightened look has come into her beautiful eyes-her breath comes quickly. She is as a thing at b

art, but it was terrible. The professor

his heart that he has not time to stop and analyze then. "How

memory," says Miss Majendie vind

ith the remorseless eye is too much for the gentle professor. "All

iously. And then suddenly her wrath gets the better of her, and she breaks out into a violent range. That one should dare

woman, with her grey nodding head, and blind vindictive passion. He hears his voice faltering, and knows that he is edging towards the door. After all, what can the bravest man

ber you are in my house!" cries Miss Majendie, in a

years he has not gone down any staircase so swiftly. A vague, if unacknowledged, feeling that he is literally making his escape from a vital danger, is lending wings

tiously; a shapely little head is as cautiously pu

then, as he turns in answ