She hardly knew what to do; but she followed
him as he walked into the room, where she had just laid the tea-
things and put the bread and butter on the table.
"Oh, tea!" he cried. "Dear me, it would be very rude of me to ask
myself to tea, and yet, do you know, Miss Coleman, I can hardly help
it."
"I am afraid my father will not be here till eight." He sat down.
"That is very unfortunate. You will tell him I came on purpose to
see him."
Pauline hesitated whether she should or should not inform Mr. Thomas
that his presence was disagreeable, but her father's caution recurred
to her, and she poured out a cup for her visitor.
It was one of his peculiarities that tea, of which he took enormous
quantities, made him garrulous, and he expatiated much upon his
college. By degrees, however, he became silent, and as he was
sitting with his face to the window, he shifted his chair to the
opposite side, under the pretence that the light dazzled his eyes.
Pauline shifted too, apparently to make room for him, but really to
get farther from him.
"Do people generally say that you take after your mother?" he said.
"I believe I am like my mother in many things.
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