"She has fine eyes," said Miss Motley; "and that dear little Sir Gerald,
I am sure we shall all be in love with him."

"Well, I hope we may get on better in time," said Caroline, taking up a
book, and settling herself in a most luxurious attitude in spite of the
unaccommodating furniture of the schoolroom.

Marian recovered a little at dinner, and was not quite so monosyllabic
in her replies. Her netting was a great resource when she went into the
drawing-room after dinner, and she began to feel a little less rigid and
confused, made some progress in acquaintance with Clara, and when she
went to bed was not without hopes of, in time, liking both her and
Caroline very much.




CHAPTER IV.

"A place where others are at home,
But all are strange to me."

_Lyra Innocentium._


Marian began the next morning by wondering what a Sunday at Oakworthy
would be like, but she was glad the formidable first meeting was over,
and greeted Gerald cheerfully when he came into the room.

After a few minutes a bell rang, and Marian, thinking it must be for