She had first called herself his Mentor; but he had accepted the name and had addressed her as her Telemachus.

And yet he believed himself to be older than she,--if, indeed, there was any difference in their ages.

And was it possible that a female Mentor should love her Telemachus,--should love him as Phineas desired to be loved by Lady Laura?
He would not say that it was impossible.

Perhaps there had been mistakes between them;--a mistake in his manner of addressing her, and another in hers of addressing him.

Perhaps the old bachelor of forty-three was not thinking of a wife.