“Uncle Dick’s come. This is him,” said Jessie, leading him towards the spot where I stood.
A bright beautiful smile broke over his strongly marked features, and I felt as if a gleam of sunlight had shone for an instant over my pathway. Taking my hand in his, he bade Jessie leave us, as he wished to see me alone. She started to obey, but ere she reached the door, she turned back and asking him to stoop down, whispered in his ear, loudly enough for me to hear, “I want you to like her.”
“Of course I shall,” he replied, and again that smile broke over his face.
I did not expect him to recognize me, for with the exception of the night at the theatre he had never fairly seen my features, and still I was conscious of a feeling of disappointment when I saw that he evidently had no suspicion of ever having met me before. When I spoke, however, and he heard the sound my voice, he started and looked me more fully in the face; but whatever his thoughts might have been, he seemed to be satisfied that he was mistaken, and seating himself at my side, he commenced conversing with me as familiarly as if he had known me all my life. Gradually our conversation turned upon books, and ere I was aware of it I passed through what I now know to have been a pretty thorough examination of all the branches which Mrs. Lansing had wished me to teach, but so adroitly was the whole thing managed that it seemed like a quiet, pleasant talk, though I did wonder at his asking so many questions. French, was the last subject discussed, and here I was at fault, for my pronunciation I well knew was bad, although Mr. Delafield, who was himself a fine French scholar, told me it was quite as good as the majority of the Americans who had neither lived in Paris, nor had the advantage of a native teacher.
“You play, I believe. I would like to hear you,” he said at last, laying his hand on my shoulder, as if he would lead me to the parlor.
Instantly the blood rushed to my face, for since the night of my disgrace I had not touched the piano, neither did I wish to again. So I tried to excuse myself, and when he insisted, I finally said, with my eyes full of tears, “Please excuse me, sir, for I can’t play. I failed before your sister, and I shall do the same before you.”
“No you won’t,” he replied, at the same time drawing my arm within his and leading me towards the door. “You have nothing to fear, Miss Lee, and if you acquit yourself half as creditably here as you have elsewhere, I shall be satisfied.”
A faint perception of the truth began to dawn upon me, and I looked up at him so earnestly that he stopped and smiling down upon me, said, “You have taught a district school in New England, I believe?”
“Yes, sir,” I answered.
“And you were examined, of course?”