And out of this spirit, which marked all the social intercourse of the college folk, affection for Professor Kelton steadily increased, and its light fell upon Sylvia abundantly.

There was a particular smile for her into which much might be read; there was a tenderness manifested toward her which communicated itself to the students, who were proud to win her favor and were forever seeking little excuses for bandying words with her when they met.
The tradition of Professor Kelton's scholarship had descended to Sylvia amusingly.

She had never attended school, but he had taught her systematically at home, and his interests were hers.

The students attributed to her the most abstruse knowledge, and stories of her precocity were repeated proudly by the Lane folk.

Many evenings spent with her grandfather at the observatory had not been wasted.