Take her to the play to-night, or ask some young fellows in to dinner, to cheer her up." The drive did Halcyone good, and, to the astonishment of Cheiron who had also read the news, she walked into his sitting-room with perfect calm.
He himself was raging with indignation and disgust.
But, when he looked into her deep eyes, his astonishment turned to pain, for the expression in them as they burned from her lifeless face was so pure, so pitiful and so tragic, that it left him without words for the moment.
At last he said--when she had greeted him: "I have been thinking, Halcyone, that I have not had a trip abroad for a long time, but I am too old now to care about going alone.

Do you think that your aunts and these step-relations of yours would spare you to accompany me, my dear ?" And Halcyone had to turn away to the window to hide the tears which suddenly welled up; he was so kind and understanding always--her dear old master! "Yes, I am sure they would," she said in a very low voice.

"How good of you.

And if we could start at once--that would be nice, would it not?
I suppose they would not let me go without Priscilla, though," she added; "would that matter ?" "Not at all," said the Professor.
They neither of them mentioned John Derringham's engagement.

They talked long about the possibilities of their foreign journey, and Cheiron felt himself repaid when he began to observe a look of returning life creep into her white face.
"I will call and see your stepfather in the city directly after lunch," he said.