Part 6 (2/2)

For Halcyone he was ”Cheiron,” her master, who had the enchanting quality of being able to see the other side of her head. Every idea of her soul seemed to be developing under this touch of sympathy and understanding. Her heterogeneous knowledge culled from the teachings of her many changing governesses, seemed to regulate itself into distinct branches with an upward shoot for each, and Mr. Carlyon watched and encouraged them all.

It was on one glorious Sat.u.r.day morning when the fairies and nymphs and G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses were presumably asleep in the sunlight, that she drew up her knees as she sat on the gra.s.s by her Professor's chair, and pus.h.i.+ng away the Greek grammar, said, with grave eyes fixed upon his face:

”Cheiron, to-day something tells me I can show you Aphrodite. When it is cooler, about five o'clock, will you come with me to the second terrace?

There I will leave you and go and fetch her, and as William and Priscilla will be at tea, I can open the secret door, and you shall see where she lives--all in the dark!”

Mr. Carlyon felt duly honored--for they had never referred to this subject since she had first mentioned it. The Professor felt it was one of deep religious solemnity to his little friend, and had waited until she herself should feel he was worthy of her complete confidence.

”She speaks to me more than ever,” Halcyone continued. ”I took her out in the moonlight on Thursday night, and she seemed to look more lovely than before. It has pleased her that I call her Aphrodite--it was certainly her name.”

”It is settled, then,” said Cheiron, ”at five o'clock I will be upon the terrace.”

Halcyone returned to her grammar, and silence obtained between them.

Then presently Mr. Carlyon spoke.

”I am going to have a visitor for a week or perhaps more,” he announced.

A startled pair of eyes looked up at him.

”That seems odd,” Halcyone said. ”I hope whoever it is will not be much in our way. I do not think I am glad--are you?”

”Yes, I am glad. It is someone for whom I have a great regard,” and Mr.

Carlyon knocked the ashes from his long pipe. ”It is a young man who used to be at Oxford and to whom also I taught Greek.”

”Then he will know a great deal more than I do, being older,” returned Halcyone, not at all mollified by this information.

”Yes, he knows rather more than you do as yet,” the Professor allowed.

”Perhaps you will not like him; he can be quite disagreeable when he wishes--and he may not like you.”

Halcyone's dark brows met.

”If he is someone for whom you have a regard he must be of those who count. I shall be angry then, if he dislikes me--is he coming soon?”

”On Monday, by the four o'clock train.”

”Our lesson will be over--that is something. You will not want me on Tuesday, I expect?” and a note of regret grew in her voice.

”I thought you might have a holiday for a while, all pupils have holidays in the summer,” the Professor returned.

”Very well,” was all she said, and then was quiet for a time, thinking the matter over. She wished to hear more of this visitor who was going to interrupt their pleasant intercourse.

”Of what sort is he?” she asked presently. ”A hunter like Meleager--or cunning like Theseus--or n.o.ble like Perseus, whom I love best of all?”

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