Miss Slome was still there; her graceful profile could be seen at a window.
Both children marched in upon Miss Slome, who was in a recitation-room, bending over a desk.

She looked up, and her face lightened at sight of Maria.
"Oh, it's you, dear ?" said she.
Maria then saw, for the first time, the white sparkle of a diamond on the third finger of her left hand.

She felt that she hated her.
"He wants to speak to you," she said, indicating Wollaston with a turn of her hand.
Miss Slome looked inquiringly at Wollaston, who stood before her like a culprit, blushing and shuffling, and yet with a sort of doggedness.
"Well, what is it, Wollaston ?" she asked, patronizingly.
"I came back to ask you if--you would have me ?" said Wollaston, and his voice was hardly audible.
Miss Ida Slome looked at him in amazement; she was utterly dazed.
"Have you ?" she repeated.

"I think I do not quite understand you.
What do you mean by 'have you,' Wollaston ?" "Marry me," burst forth the boy.
There was a silence.

Maria looked at Miss Slome, and, to her utter indignation, the teacher's lips were twitching, and it took a good deal to make Miss Slome laugh, too; she had not much sense of humor.
In a second Wollaston stole a furtive glance at Miss Slome, which was an absurd parody on a glance of a man under similar circumstances, and Miss Slome, who had had experience in such matters, laughed outright.
The boy turned white.