A Sweet Girl Graduate | Page 6

like a nut,
soft and deep as the thick pile of velvet, and yet with a latent flash and

glow in them which gave them a red, half-wild gleam now and then.
The lips that belonged to this face were slightly parted in a smile; the
smile and the expression in the eyes stole straight down with a glow of
delicious comfort into Priscilla's heart.
"Thank you," she said in her stiff, wooden tone; but her eyes did not
look stiff, and the girl began to talk again.
"I believe my room is next to yours. My name is Oliphant-- Margaret
Oliphant, but every one calls me Maggie. That is, of course, I mean my
friends do. Would you like to come into my room and let me tell you
some of the rules?"
"Thank you," said Priscilla again. She longed to add, "I should love
beyond words to come into your room"; but instead she remarked icily,
"I think Miss Heath has given me printed rules."
"Oh, you have seen our dear Dorothea-- I mean Miss Heath. Isn't she
lovely?"
"I don't know," answered Priscilla. "I think she's rather a plain person."
"My dear Miss"-- I have not caught your name-- "you really are too
deliciously prosaic. Stay here for a month, and then tell me if you think
Dorothea-- I mean Miss Heath-- plain. No, I won't say any more. You
must find out for yourself. But now, about the rules. I don't mean the
printed rules. We have, I assure you, at St. Benet's all kinds of little
etiquettes which we expect each other to observe. We are supposed to
be democratic and inclined to go in for all that is advanced in
womanhood. But, oh dear, oh dear! let any student dare to break one of
our own little pet proprieties, and you will see how conservative we can
be."
"Have I broken any of them?" asked Priscilla in alarm. "I did notice
that every one stared at me when I came into the hall, but I thought it
was because my face was fresh, and I hoped people would get
accustomed to me by and by."

"You poor, dear child, there are lots of fresh faces here besides yours.
You should have come down under the shelter of my wing, then it
would have been all right."
"But what have I done? Do tell me. I'd much rather know."
"Well, dear, you have only come into the hall by the dons' entrance,
and you have only seated yourself at the top of the table, where the
learned students who are going in for a tripos take their august meals.
That is pretty good for a fresher. Forgive me, we call the new girls
freshers for a week or two. Oh, you have done nothing wrong. Of
course not, how could you know any better? Only I think it would be
nice to put you up to our little rules, would it not?"
"I should be very much obliged," said Priscilla. "And please tell me
now where I ought to sit at dinner."
Miss Oliphant's merry eyes twinkled.
"Look down this long hall," she said. "Observe that door at the further
end-- that is the students' door; through that door you ought to have
entered."
"Yes-- well, well?"
"What an impatient 'well, well.' I shall make you quite an enthusiastic
Benetite before dinner is over."
Priscilla blushed.
"I am sorry I spoke too eagerly," she said.
"Oh, no, not a bit too eagerly."
"But please tell me where I ought to have seated myself."
"There is a table near that lower entrance, Miss----"
"Peel," interposed Priscilla. "My name is Priscilla Peel."

"How quaint and great-grandmotherly. Quite delicious! Well, Miss Peel,
by that entrance door is a table, a table rather in a draught, and
consecrated to the freshers-- there the freshers humbly partake of
nourishment."
"I see. Then I am as far from the right place as I can be."
"About as far as you can be."
"And that is why all the girls have stared so at me."
"Yes, of course; but let them stare. Who minds such a trifle?"
Priscilla sat silent for a few moments. One of the neat waiting-maids
removed her plate; her almost untasted dinner lay upon it. Miss
Oliphant turned to attack some roast mutton with truly British vigor.
By and by Priscilla's voice, stiff but with a break in it, fell upon her ear.
"I think the students at St. Benet's must be very cruel."
"My dear Miss Peel, the honor of the most fascinating college in
England is imperiled. Unsay those words."
Maggie Oliphant was joking. Her voice was gay with badinage, her
eyes brimful of laughter. But Priscilla, unaccustomed to light repartee
or chaff in any form, replied to her