Why he was nervous at first he did not guess; till, chancing to glance up, he became aware that Miss Fregelius was looking at him out of her half-closed eyes.

What is more, she was listening critically, and with much intenseness, whereupon, instantly, he made a mistake and put a false accent on a name.
In due course, the lessons done with, they reached the first hymn, which was one that scarcely seemed to please his companion; at any rate, she shut the book and would not sing.

In the case of the second hymn, however, matters were different.

This time she did not even open the book.

It was evident that she knew the words, perhaps among the most beautiful in the whole collection, by heart.