mumble, “a ... a ... an old friend of my mother’s. In fact, I met her once at Salisbury.”     

       “Where?”     

       “Salisbury.”     

       “And her name?”     

       “Smith,” said Lewisham, a little hastily, and repenting the lie even as it left his lips.     

       “Well hit, Harris!” shouted Bonover, and began to clap his hands. “Well hit, sir.”     

       “Harris shapes very well,” said Mr. Lewisham.     

       “Very,” said Mr. Bonover. “And—what was it? Ah! I was just remarking the odd resemblances there are in the world. There is a Miss Henderson—or Henson—stopping with the Frobishers—in the very same town, in fact, the very picture of your Miss ...”     

       “Smith,” said Lewisham, meeting his eye and recovering the full crimson note of his first blush.     

       “It’s odd,” said Bonover, regarding him pensively.     

       “Very odd,” mumbled Lewisham, cursing his own stupidity and looking away.     

       “Very—very odd,” said Bonover.     

       “In fact,” said Bonover, turning towards the school-house,       “I hardly expected it of you, Mr. Lewisham.”     

       “Expected what, sir?”     

       But Mr. Bonover feigned to be already out of earshot.     

       “Damn!” said Mr. Lewisham. “Oh!—damn!”—a most objectionable expression and rare with him in those days. He had half a mind to follow the head-master and ask him if he doubted his word. It was only too evident what the answer would be.     

       He stood for a minute undecided, then turned on his heel and marched homeward with savage steps. His muscles quivered as he walked, and his face twitched. The tumult of his mind settled at last into angry indignation.     

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