"It's nice to be clean inside, teacher."
The teacher paused a moment also before his eye came to Matilda, and then it was very soft.
"What does my new scholar say?"
Matilda struggled with herself, looked down and looked up, and met the kind eyes again.
"One must be willing to be unlike the world," she said.
"Is it easy?"
"I think it is very hard, sir."
"Do you find it so, my friend?" he asked, his eye going on to Norton. But the bell rang just then; and in the bustle of rising and finding the hymn Norton contrived to escape the answering and yet without being rude.
As they were turning away, after the services were ended, Matilda felt a light touch on her shoulder and her teacher said quietly, "Wait." She stood still, while he went up to speak to somebody. All the other children passed out, and she was quite alone when Mr. Wharncliffe came back to her.
"Which way are you going?"