less than cruelty to remain. The episode, however, had lightened his
day with an interest of a very unusual kind. And so it was that, on
the following morning, not only the gleam of watery sunshine, but
also the thought of an hour to be spent in the presence of that
timid face, brought him on his way to the school with an unwonted
resignation. Unfortunately his drawing lessons were only given on
two mornings in the week. Still, there would be something in future
to look forward to, a novel sensation at The Academy.





CHAPTER IX

THE COUSINS




Harriet Smales had left home in a bad temper that Sunday afternoon,
and when she came back to tea, after her walk with Julian, her state
of mind did not appear to have undergone any improvement. She took
her place at the tea-table in silence. She and Mrs. Ogle were alone
this evening; the latter's husband--he was a journeyman printer,
and left entirely in his wife's hands the management of the shop in
Gray's Inn Road--happened to be away. Mrs. Ogle was a decent,
cheerful woman, of motherly appearance. She made one or two attempts
to engage Harriet in conversation, but, failing, subsided into
silence, only looking askance at the girl from time to time. When