me as he spoke. He then stirred the fire and left me

Everything was so strange—the stranger from its being night in the

day-time, the candles burning with a white flame, and looking raw and

cold—that I read the words in the newspaper without knowing what

they meant and found myself reading the same words repeatedly. As it

was of no use going on in that way, I put the paper down, took a peep at

my bonnet in the glass to see if it was neat, and looked at the room,

which was not half lighted, and at the shabby, dusty tables, and at the

piles of writings, and at a bookcase full of the most inexpressive-looking

books that ever had anything to say for themselves. Then I went on,

thinking, thinking, thinking; and the fire went on, burning, burning,

burning; and the candles went on flickering and guttering, and there

were no snuffers—until the young gentleman by and by brought a very

dirty pair—for two hours.

At last Mr. Kenge came. He was not altered, but he was surprised to

see how altered I was and appeared quite pleased. As you are going to be ‟

the companion of the young lady who is now in the Chancellor’s private

room, Miss Summerson,” he said, we thought it well that you should be ‟

in attendance also. You will not be discomposed by the Lord Chancellor,

I dare say?”

No, sir,” I said, I don’t think I shall,” really not seeing on ‟ ‟

consideration why I should be.

So Mr. Kenge gave me his arm and we went round the corner, under a

colonnade, and in at a side door. And so we came, along a passage, into a

comfortable sort of room where a young lady and a young gentleman

were standing near a great, loud-roaring fire. A screen was interposed

between them and it, and they were leaning on the screen, talking.

They both looked up when I came in, and I saw in the young lady,

with the fire shining upon her, such a beautiful girl! With such rich

golden hair, such soft blue eyes, and such a bright, innocent, trusting

face!Everything was so strange—the stranger from its being night in the

day-time, the candles burning with a white flame, and looking raw and

cold—that I read the words in the newspaper without knowing what

they meant and found myself reading the same words repeatedly. As it

was of no use going on in that way, I put the paper down, took a peep at

my bonnet in the glass to see if it was neat, and looked at the room,

which was not half lighted, and at the shabby, dusty tables, and at the

piles of writings, and at a bookcase full of the most inexpressive-looking

books that ever had anything to say for themselves. Then I went on,

thinking, thinking, thinking; and the fire went on, burning, burning,

burning; and the candles went on flickering and guttering, and there

were no snuffers—until the young gentleman by and by brought a very

dirty pair—for two hours.

At last Mr. Kenge came. He was not altered, but he was surprised to

see how altered I was and appeared quite pleased. As you are going to be ‟

the companion of the young lady who is now in the Chancellor’s private

room, Miss Summerson,” he said, we thought it well that you should be ‟

in attendance also. You will not be discomposed by the Lord Chancellor,

I dare say?”

No, sir,” I said, I don’t think I shall,” really not seeing on ‟ ‟

consideration why I should be.

So Mr. Kenge gave me his arm and we went round the corner, under a

colonnade, and in at a side door. And so we came, along a passage, into a

comfortable sort of room where a young lady and a young gentleman

were standing near a great, loud-roaring fire. A screen was interposed

between them and it, and they were leaning on the screen, talking.

They both looked up when I came in, and I saw in the young lady,

with the fire shining upon her, such a beautiful girl! With such rich

golden hair, such soft blue eyes, and such a bright, innocent, trusting

face!