"She must be a
stranger just come out of curiosity." Then the girl's eyes suddenly
met Maggie's and held them; the brilliant creature smiled and Maggie
smiled in return. She looked afterwards at Aunt Anne, but Aunt Anne,
buried in her book of devotions, had seen nothing.
Suddenly, after a strange wheeze and muffled scream, the harmonium
began. Every one looked up expectantly; Mr. Warlock, alone, appeared
from a door at the right of the screen and took his place behind the
desk.
He stood for a moment facing them before he took his place. He was a
man of great size, old now but holding himself absolutely erect. He
was dressed in a plain black gown with a low, white collar and a
white tie. This long gown added to his height, but the width of the
shoulders and neck, and the carriage of his head showed that he was
a man built on a noble scale. His hair was snow-white and he wore a
beard, that was in startling contrast against his black gown. His
cheeks were of high colour, his eyes blue; he was older than Maggie
had expected and must, she thought, be over seventy. His whole
bearing and behaviour was of a man who had enjoyed great physical
health.
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