Previously he
had been interested in her; her striking features had made him
wonder what was the history which their expression concealed; but
her extreme reticence and the timid coldness of her look had left
his senses unmoved. Now he all at once experienced the awakening of
quite a new interest; there had been something in her eyes as they
met his which seemed to desire sympathy; he was struck with the
possibilities of emotion in the face which this one look had
revealed to him. Her situation seemed, when he thought of it, to
affect him more strongly than hitherto; he felt that it would be
more difficult henceforth to maintain his calmness when he saw her
insulted by Mrs. Tootle or disrespectfully used by the children.
Nor did the new feelings subside as rapidly as they had arisen. At
home that night he was unable to settle to his usual occupations,
and, as a visit to his friends in the Masters' Room would have been
equally distasteful, he rambled about the streets and so tired
himself. His duties did not take him up to the children's classroom
on the following morning, but he invented an excuse for going there,
and felt rewarded by the very faint smile and the inclination of the
head with which Miss Enderby returned his "good morning.
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