Mrs.Tootle stood still.
"What are you waiting for, Mr.Waymark ?" she asked sharply.
"Till your presence has ceased to distract the boys' attention, Mrs.
Tootle," was the straightforward reply.
The woman was disconcerted, and, as Waymark preserved his calm silence, she had no alternative but to withdraw, after giving him a look not easily forgotten.
But there was another person whose sufferings under the tyranny of mother and children were perhaps keenest of all.

Waymark had frequent opportunities of observing Miss Enderby under persecution, and learned to recognise in her the signs of acutest misery.

Many times he left the room, rather than add to her pain by his presence; very often it was as much as he could do to refrain from taking her part, and defending her against Mrs.Tootle.He had never been formally introduced to Miss Enderby, and during several weeks held no kind of communication with her beyond a "good morning" when he entered the room and found her there.

The first quarter of a year was drawing to a close when there occurred the first conversation between them.

Waymark had been giving some of the children their drawing-lesson, whilst the governess taught the two youngest.