Alice Joyce, good-naturedly racked her brains to think of something that would set him at his ease, and ultimately put the young head-mistress’s stock question—
“Would you like to see our gymnasium?”
Colonel Hewson expressed himself as not unwilling.
The gymnasium was empty, save of apparatuses, of which, movable and immovable, it had a great number. Alice Joyce had considerable skill in showing these off, and handled weights and bars with a facility which impressed her visitor. Up and down the gymnasium they went, swinging dumb-bells. Suddenly Alice Joyce pulled up short—
“As you are so much interested in all this, Colonel Hewson,” she said, “do come and see the girls at it.”
Entertaining a dumb beau with dumb-bells
“Can anyone come?” was asked.
“No, no; only parents and anyone whom I may happen to invite. I shall be pleased to see you, though you’re not a parent.”
Colonel Hewson expressed his deep sense of obligation with a rather blank face, adding, in mild protest, that he regarded himself as a parent. Here was one result of Alice Joyce’s having become a head-mistress. She had come to narrow the meaning of some words. She was startled herself to find that things had come to this pass, and said apologetically—