Julia had no alternative; she assented in a faint voice. After a pause
she faltered out, "And suppose he should esteem me seriously?"

Mrs. Dodd replied quickly, "Then that would be much worse. But," said
she, "I have no apprehensions on that score; you are a child, and he is a
precocious boy, and rather a flirt. But forewarned is forearmed. So now
run away and dress, sweet one: my lecture is quite ended."

The sensitive girl went up to her room with a heavy heart. All the fears
she had lulled of late revived. She saw plainly now that Mrs. Dodd only
accepted Alfred as a pleasant acquaintance: as a son-in-law he was out of
the question. "Oh, what will she say when she knows all?" thought Julia.

Next day, sitting near the window, she saw him coming up the road. After
the first movement of pleasure at the bare sight of him, she was sorry he
had come. Mamma's suspicions awake at last, and here he was again; the
third call in one fortnight! She dared not risk an interview with him,
ardent and unguarded, under that penetrating eye, which she felt would
now be on the watch. She rose hurriedly, said as carelessly as she could,
"I am going to the school," and tying her bonnet on all in a flurry,
whipped out at the back-door with her shawl in her hand just as Sarah
opened the front door to Alfred. She then shuffled on her shawl, and
whisked through the little shrubbery into the open field, and reached a
path that led to the school, and so gratified was she at her dexterity in
evading her favourite, that she hung her head, and went murmuring,
"Cruel, cruel, cruel!"

Alfred entered the drawing-room gaily, with a good-sized card and a
prepared speech. His was not the visit of a friend, but a functionary;