CHAPTER XXXIII 476
" Well ," I reflected , " if you won ' t talk , you may be still ; I ' ll let you alone now , and return to my book ."
So I snuffed the candle and resumed the perusal of " Marmion ." He soon stirred ; my eye was instantly drawn to his movements ; he only took out a morocco pocket-book , thence produced a letter , which he read in silence , folded it , put it back , relapsed into meditation . It was vain to try to read with such an inscrutable fixture before me ; nor could I , in impatience , consent to be dumb ; he might rebuff me if he liked , but talk I would .
" Have you heard from Diana and Mary lately ?" " Not since the letter I showed you a week ago ."
" There has not been any change made about your own arrangements ? You will not be summoned to leave England sooner than you expected ?"
" I fear not , indeed : such chance is too good to befall me ." Baffled so far , I changed my ground . I bethought myself to talk about the school and my scholars .
" Mary Garrett ' s mother is better , and Mary came back to the school this morning , and I shall have four new girls next week from the Foundry Close -- they would have come to-day but for the snow ."
" Indeed !" " Mr . Oliver pays for two ." " Does he ?" " He means to give the whole school a treat at Christmas ." " I know ." " Was it your suggestion ?"