Miss Appleyard, a convinced Radical, could not conceive the
possibility of a grocer's assistant regarding the daughter of a
well-to-do printer in any other light than that of a graciously
condescending patron. That there could be danger to herself! you
would have been sorry you had suggested the idea. The expression
of lofty scorn would have made you feel yourself contemptible.

Miss Appleyard's judgment of mankind was justified; no more
promising pupil could have been selected. It was really marvellous
the progress made by Grindley junior, under the tutelage of
Helvetia Appleyard. His earnestness, his enthusiasm, it quite
touched the heart of Helvetia Appleyard. There were many points,
it is true, that puzzled Grindley junior. Each time the list of
them grew longer. But when Helvetia Appleyard explained them, all
became clear. She marvelled herself at her own wisdom, that in a
moment made darkness luminous to this young man; his rapt attention
while she talked, it was most encouraging. The boy must surely be
a genius. To think that but for her intuition he might have
remained wasted in a grocer's shop! To rescue such a gem from
oblivion, to polish it, was surely the duty of a conscientious
Hypatia. Two visits--three visits a week to the little shop in
Rolls Court were quite inadequate, so many passages there were
requiring elucidation. London in early morning became their
classroom: the great, wide, empty, silent streets; the mist-
curtained parks, the silence broken only by the blackbirds' amorous
whistle, the thrushes' invitation to delight; the old gardens,
hidden behind narrow ways. Nathaniel George and Janet Helvetia
would rest upon a seat, no living creature within sight, save
perhaps a passing policeman or some dissipated cat. Janet Helvetia