He was gazing straight at Miss Slome, Miss Ida Slome, who was the school-teacher, and his young face wore an expression of devotion.

Maria's eyes followed his; she did not dream of being jealous; Miss Slome seemed too incalculably old to her for that.

She was not so very old, in her early thirties, but the early thirties to a young girl are venerable.

Miss Ida Slome was called a beauty.

She, as well as Maria, wore a pink dress, at which Maria privately wondered.