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 "Really, Austin, I don't think running a girls' school has improved your manners."

Austin smiled. "I'm sorry," he said. "I was thinking you were one of my pupils, and we are very particular about voices—"

He felt he must hear what was going on to his right. Not a word reached him but something tense and tragic in the tone of the little princess's voice carried him back to the interview at Mr. Johns's party. What could Mrs. Rolles be telling her? Hardly that he and Susie were engaged, for they weren't. He leaned forward and caught Miss Hayes's eye.

"I was just thinking Miss Rolles ought to hear our course on voice-placing," he said.

"Oh, do tell me about it," said Susie, with rage in her heart, for she saw perfectly she was being side-tracked. As soon as Miss Hayes began to answer, Austin's head turned to the right, and Mrs. Rolles began at once: "Elise and I were having such an interesting talk about the relative advantages of a head-master and head-mistress, and we have decided"—she nodded gaily at Elise—"haven't we, my dear, that both can be combined if you will only marry wisely, Mr. Bevans."