are interesting. And when do the school days end? A young lady looks
forward with pleasure, I fancy, to release from--"

"Is the amoeba a--some horrid bug, I suppose?" interrupted Aunt Frank;
"and you--er--do things to it in that laboratory? How can you? The very
thought of such a place! It makes me shiver!"

"Oh, but you should see it, so clean and bright; the laboratory's simply
beautiful!"

"But this is your first winter in the city, and you ought to be enjoying
concerts and theatres, meeting people, seeing things."

"Oh, I only keep such hours as I elect, being a post graduate; and I've
been to several theatres," I said; "Kitty and I get seats in the top
gallery."

"The--the top gallery?"

"At matinees," I hastily explained, "and not--not lately."

And then I felt more confused than ever, for Mr. Hynes was watching me.
John was looking at me, too, with that great light in his face that had
been there ever since my arrival, when he first saw the opal gleaming on
my finger; and I--oh, how could I have hinted that I don't dare go where
so many people might look at me? But it's the truth. And though the truth
may be inconvenient, it's wonderfully sweet!

After dinner we passed into the big drawing room behind the hall. Joy did
some clumsy little dances in her short white frock--she is really too