She was a mere slip of a girl, rather comely, I thought, with small childish features and a half-timid, half-bold look in her eyes.

I could not remember having seen her before.
She smiled at me--and then I knew! Well, if some one had struck me a brutal blow in the face I could not have been more astonished.
We know of things!--and yet how little we know until they are presented to us in concrete form.

Just such a little school girl as I have seen a thousand times in the country, the pathetic childish curve of the chin, a small rebellious curl hanging low on her temple.
I could not say a word.

The girl evidently saw in my face that something was the matter, for she turned and began to move quickly away.

Such a wave of compassion (and anger, too) swept over me as I cannot well describe.