The
idea of your keeping anything with your April face!"
Elsie acted upon the hint, and went to her room in order to remove
all traces of agitation before the supper-bell should summon her
to meet the dreaded stranger.
In the meantime, Mr. Alford and James, the second son, had come up
from the village, where they had a thriving business. They greeted
George's friend so cordially that it went some way toward putting
the diffident youth at his ease; but he dreaded meeting Elsie
again quite as much as she dreaded meeting him.
"Who is this Mr. Stanhope?" his parents asked, as they drew George
aside for a little private talk after his long absence.
"Well, he is a classmate with whom I have long wished to get
better acquainted; but he is so shy and retiring that I have made
little progress. He came from another seminary, and entered our
class in this the middle year. No one seems to know much about
him; and indeed he has shunned all intimacies and devotes himself
wholly to his books. The recitation-room is the one place where he
appears well--for there he speaks out, as if forgetting himself,
or rather, losing himself in some truth under contemplation.
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