The Two Magics
ning, had deeply disconcerted me. The first day had been, on the whole, as I have expressed, reassuring; but I was to see it wind up in keen apprehension. The postbag, that evening,-it came
ort-so great a one that I was a long time coming to it; took the unopened missive at last up to my room and only attacked it just before going to bed. I had better have let it wait till morning, fo
? The child's dism
; then, visibly, with a quick blankness, seemed
for the holidays. Miles m
ttention, she reddened.
solutely
e had turned from me; I saw them fill
er, had the effect of making her, without taking it, simply put her hands
ould, and opened my letter again to repeat it to her; then, faltering in the a
in her eyes. "Do th
meaning." Mrs. Grose listened with dumb emotion; she forbore to ask me what this meaning might be; so that, presently, to put th
s of simple folk, she suddenly flam
very fears made me jump to the absurdity of the idea. I found myself, to meet my friend
Grose, "to say such cruel things
it would be
beginning of a curiosity that, for all the next hours, was to deepen almost to pain. Mrs. Grose was aware, I could judge, of what she had produced
n her little way an extraordinary detachment from disagreeable duties, looking to me, however, with a great childish light that seemed to offer it as a mere result of the affection she had conceived for my person, which had r
ancy she rather sought to avoid me. I overtook her, I remember, on the staircase; we went down together, and at the bottom I detained he
his time, and very honestly, adopted an attitu
in. "Then you h
d, Miss, t
ed this. "You mean tha
boy f
ughty?" Then, keeping pace with her answer, "So do I!" I ea
ord left her at a loss. I
corrupt you?" She put the question with such a fine bold humour that, with a laugh, a littl
approached, I cropped up in another place
ung and pretty-almost as young and a
ty helped her!" I recollect throwing off
ked everyone!" She had no sooner spoken indeed than she
ut of whom did y
, but she colour
he ma
who
impression of her having accidentally said more than she meant; and I
right? She ne
I overcame it. "Was s
ry to be conscientious.
ot abo
"Well, Miss-she's gone
ply; but I thought it, after an instant, not oppose
e went
ie?" Mrs. Grose looked straight out of the window, but I felt that, hypothetically, I had a right to kn
she had put in had certainly given her a right. We had then a young woman-a nursemaid who had stayed on and who was a good girl and clever; and she took the c
is over. "B
ase, Miss," said Mrs. Gros