"What's that you are putting in your Algebra ?" she asked.
"A marker," replied Maria.

She felt that Maud's curiosity was such that it justified a white lie.
She had no chance to read the paper which Wollaston had slipped into her hand until she was fairly in school.

Then she read it under cover of a book.

It was very short, and quite manly, although manifestly written under great perturbation of spirit.
Wollaston wrote: "Shall I tell your folks to-night ?" Wollaston was not in Maria's classes.

He was older, and had entered in advance.