“Idaresay，“shereplied，noddingherhead。“Thatisifyoumeanmakingclergymenworklikeotherpeople，insteadofspyingandgossipingandplayinggamesastheydoabouthere。“
Godfreydidnotpursuetheargument，butremarkedimmorally：
“It’sapityyoudon’tcometoourclass，forthenIcoulddoyourhistorypapersandyoucoulddomysums。“
Shestarted，butallshesaidwas：
“Thiswouldbeagoodplacetolearnhistory。NowImustbegoing。
Don’tforgettogivethenote。IshallhavetosaythatIwaitedalongwhilebeforeIfoundanyone。Goodbye，Godfrey。“
“Goodbye，Isobel，“heanswered，butshewasgone。
“Ihopehediddreamthatitwashismotherwhokissedhim，“Isobelreflectedtoherself，fornowthefullenormityofherperformancecamehometoher。Youngasshewas，amerechildwithnoknowledgeofthegreatanimatingforcesoflifeandofthemysteriesbehindthem，shewonderedwhyshehaddonethisthing；whatitwasthatforcedhertodoit。Forsheknewwellthatsomethinghadforcedher，somethingoutsideofherself，assheunderstoodherself。Itwasasthoughanotherentitythatwasinherandyetnotherselfhadtakenpossessionofherandmadeheractasuninfluenced，sheneverwouldhaveacted。Thussheponderedinhercalmfashion，then，beingabletomakenothingofthebusiness，shruggedhershouldersandletitgoby。
AfterallitmatterednothingsinceGodfreyhaddreamedthattheghostofhismotherhadvisitedhimandwouldnotsuspectherofbeingthatghost，andshewascertainthatneverwouldshedosuchathingagain。
Thetroublewasthatshehaddoneitonceandthatthedeedsignifiedsomechangeinherwhichherchildishmindcouldnotunderstand。
OnreachingtheHall，orrathershortlyafterwards，shesawherfatherwhowaswaitingforthecarriageinwhichtogotothestationtomeetsomeparticularlyimportantweek-endguest。HeaskedifshehadbroughtanyanswertohisnotetoMr。Knight，andshetoldhimthatshehadleftitintheschoolroom，asshecalledtherefectory，becausehewasout。
“Ihopehewillgetit，“grumbledMr。Blake。“Oneofmyfriendswhoiscomingdownto-nightthinksheunderstandsarchitectureandIwanttheparsontoshowhimovertheAbbeyHouse。Indeedthat’swhyhehascome，foryouseeheisanAmericanwhothinksalotofsucholdthings。“
“Well，itisbeautiful，isn’tit，Father？“shesaid。“EvenIfeltthatitwouldbeeasytolearninthatbigoldroomwitharooflikethatofachurch。“
Anideastruckhim。
“Wouldyouliketogotoschoolthere，Isobel？“
“Ithinkso，Father，asImustgotoschoolsomewhereandIhatethosehorriblegovernesses。“
“Well，“hereplied，“youcouldn’tthrowinkpotsattheholyKnight，asyoudidatMissHook。Lord!whatarageshewasin，“headdedwithachuckle。“Ihadtopayher￡5foranewdress。ButitwasbettertodothatthantoriskaCountyCourtaction。“
Thenthecarriagecameandhedeparted。
TheupshotofitallwasthatIsobelbecameanotherofMr。Knight’spupils。WhenMr。Blakesuggestedthearrangementtohiswife，sheraisedcertainobjections，amongthemthatassociatingwiththeselittleladsmightmakeatomboyofthegirl，addingthatshehadbeentaughtwithchildrenofherownsex。Heretortedinhisroughmaritalfashion，thatifitmadesomethingdifferentofIsobeltowhatshe，themother，was，hewouldbeglad。Indeed，asusual，LadyJane’soppositionsettledthematter。
NowforthenextfewyearsofIsobel’slifethereislittletobetold。Mr。Knightwasanablemanandagoodteacher，andbeingaclevergirlshelearnedagreatdealfromhim，especiallyinthewayofmathematics，forwhich，ashasbeensaid，shehadanaturalleaning。
IndeedverysoonsheoutstrippedGodfreyandtheotherladsinthisandsundryotherbranchesofstudy，sittingatatablebyherselfonwhatoncehadbeenthedaisoftheoldhall。Intheintervalsoflessons，however，itwastheircustomtotakewalkstogetherandthenitwasthatshealwaysfoundherselfatthesideofGodfrey。Indeedtheybecameinseparable，atanyrateinmind。Astrangeandmostuncommonintimacyexistedbetweentheseyoungcreatures，almostmightithavebeencalledafriendshipofthespirit。Yet，andthiswasthecuriouspartofit，theyweredissimilarinalmosteverythingthatgoestomakeupahumanbeing。Eveninchildhoodtherewasscarcelyasubjectonwhichtheythoughtalike，scarcelyapointuponwhichtheywouldnotargue。
Godfreywasfondofpoetry；itboredIsobel。Histendenciesweretowardsreligionthoughofaverydifferenttypefromthatpreachedandpractisedbyhisfather；herswereanti-religious。Infactshewouldhavebeeninclinedtoendorsethesayingofthatotherschoolgirlwhodefinedfaithas“theartofbelievingthosethingswhichweknowtobeuntrue，“whiletohimontheotherhandtheywereprofoundlytrue，thoughoftenenoughnotinthewaythattheyaregenerallyaccepted。Hadhepossessedanypowersofdefinitionatthatage，probablyhewouldhavedescribedouracceptedbeliefsasshadowsoftheTruth，distortedandfantasticallyshaped，likethosethrownbychangeful，raggedcloudsbehindwhichtheeternalsunisshining，shadowsthatvaryinlengthandcharacteraccordingtothehourandweatherofthemortalday。
Isobelforherparttooklittleheedofshadows。Herclear，scientificstampofmindsearchedforascertainablefacts，andontheseshebuiltupherphilosophyoflifeandofthedeaththatendsit。Ofcourseallsuchcontradictionsmayoftenbefoundinasinglemindwhichbelievesatonetimeandrejectsatanotherandseestwo，ortwentysidesofeverythingwithapainfulandbewilderingclearness。
Suchacharacterisapttoendinprofounddissatisfactionwiththeselffromwhichitcannotbefree。Muchmorethenwouldonehaveimaginedthatthesetwomusthavebeendissatisfiedwitheachotherandsoughttheopportunitiesofescapewhichwereopentothem。Butitwasnotsointheleast。Theyarguedandcontradicteduntiltheyhadnothingmoretosay，andthenlapsedintolongperiodsofwearybutgood-naturedsilence。Inasenseeachcompletedeachbytheadditionofitsopposite，asthedarknesscompletesthelight，thusmakingtheroundoftheperfectday。
Asyetthisdeepaffectionandremarkableonenessshowednosignsoftheendtowhichobviouslyitwasdrifting。Thatkisswhichthegirlhadgiventotheboywaspuresisterly，oronemightalmostsay，motherly，andindeedthisqualityinspiredtheirrelationshipformuchlongerthanmighthavebeenexpected。Somuchwasthissothatnooneconnectedwiththemoneithersideeverhadtheslightestsuspicionthattheycaredforeachotherinanywayexceptasfriendsandfellowpupils。
Sotheyearswentbytillthepairwereseventeen，youngmanandyoungwoman，thoughstillcalledboyandgirl。Theyweregood-lookingintheirrespectivewaysthoughyetunformed；tallandstraight，too，bothofthem，butsingularlydissimilarinappearanceaswellasinmind。Godfreywasdark，paleandthoughtful-faced。Isobelwasfair，vivacious，open-natured，amusing，andgiventosayingthefirstthingthatcametohertongue。Shehadfewreservations；herthoughtsmightbereadinherlargegreyeyesbeforetheywereheardfromherlips，whichgenerallywasnotlongafterwards。Alsoshewasveryable。Shereadandunderstoodthepapersandfollowedallthemovementsofthedaywithalivelyinterest，especiallyifthesehadtodowithnationalaffairsorwithwomenandtheirstatus。
Business，too，camenaturallytoher，somuchsothatherfatherwouldconsultherabouthisundertakings，thatis，aboutthoseofthemwhichwereabsolutelyaboveboardandbeyondsuspicionofsharpdealing。Theothershewasfartoowisetobringwithinherken，knowingexactlywhathewouldhaveheardfromheruponthesubject。Andyetnotwithstandingallhiscareshesuspectedhim，byinstinct，notbyknowledge。Forhisparthewasproudofherandwouldlistenwithpleasurewhen，stillamerechild，sheengagedhisguestsboldlyinargument，forinstanceabishoporadeanontheology，orastatesmanoncurrentpolitics。Alreadyhehadformedgreatplansforherfuture；
shewastomarryapeerwhotookanactivepartinthings，oratanyratealeadingpolitician，andtobecomeapowerintheland。Butofthis，too，wiselyhesaidnothingtoIsobel，forthetimehadnotyetcome。
DuringtheseyearsthingshadprosperedexceedinglywithJohnBlakewhowasnowaveryrichmanwithshipsowned，orpartlyownedbyhimoneverysea。OnseveraloccasionshehadbeenaskedtostandforParliamentanddeclinedthehonour。Heknewhimselftobenospeaker，andwassurealsothathecouldnotattendbothtotheaffairsofthecountryandtothoseofhisever-spreadingbusiness。SohetookanothercourseandbegantosupporttheConservativeParty，whichheselectedasthesafest，bymeansoflargesubscriptions。
Hedidmore，heboughtabaronetcy，foronlythuscanthetransactionbedescribed。WhenaGeneralElectionwasdrawingnear，oneeveningafterdinneratHawk’sHallhehadapurelybusinessconversationwithapoliticalWhipwho，perhapsnotwithoutmotive，hadbeencomplainingtohimofthedepletedstateofthePartyChest。
“Well，“saidMr。Blake，“youknowthatmyprinciplesareyoursandthatIshouldliketohelpyour，orratherourcause。Moneyistightwithmejustnowandtheoutlookisverybadinmytrade，butI’mamanwhoalwaysbackshisfancy；inshort，would￡15，000beofuse？“
TheWhipintimatedthatitwouldbeofthegreatestuse。
“Ofcourse，“continuedMr。Blake，“Ipresumethattheusualacknowledgmentwouldfollow？“
“Whatacknowledgment？“askedtheWhipsippinghisportwearily，forsuchnegotiationswerenonewthingtohim。“Imean，howdoyouspellit？“
“WithaP，“saidMr。Blakeboldly，actingonhisusualprincipleofaskingformorethanhehopedtoget。
TheWhipcontemplatedhimthroughhiseyeglasswithamildandinterestedstare。
“Outofthequestion，mydearfellow，“hesaid。“Thatboxisfullandlocked，andthere’salongoutsidelistwaitingaswell。PerhapsyoumeanwithaK。Youknowmoneyisn’teverything，assomeofyougentlemenseemtothink，andifitwere，youwouldhavesaidfiftyinsteadoffifteen。“
“Kbedamned!“repliedMr。Blake。“I’mnotamayororanactor-
manager。Let’ssayB，thatstandsforBeginningaswellasBaronet；