"An adjective absolute," said half-a-dozen voices at once. And Margaret sate abashed. The children knew more than she did. Mr. Bell turned away, and smiled.
Margaret spoke no more during the lesson. But after it was over, she went quietly round to one or two old favourites, and talked to them a little. They were growing out of children into great girls; passing out of their recollection in their rapid development, as she, by her three year's absence, was vanishing from theirs. Still she was glad to have seen them all again, though a tinge of sadness mixed itself with her pleasure. When school was over for the day, it was yet early in the summer afternoon; and Mrs. Hepworth proposed to Margaret that she and Mr. Bell should accompany her to the parsonage, and see--the word "improvements" had half slipped out of her mouth, but she substituted the more cautious term "alterations" which the present Vicar was making. Margaret did not care a straw about seeing the alterations, which jarred upon her fond recollection of what her home had been; but she longed to see the old place once more, even though she shivered away from the pain which she knew she should feel.

'An adjective absolute,' said half-a-dozen voices at once. And Margaret sat abashed. The children knew more than she did.
She spoke no more during the lesson. But after it was over, she went quietly round to one or two old favourites, and talked to them a little. They were growing into great girls; passing out of her memory in their rapid development, as she was vanishing from theirs. Still she was glad to have seen them all again.
When school was over for the day, Mrs. Hepworth proposed to Margaret that she and Mr. Bell should accompany her to the parsonage, and see the - the word 'improvements' had half slipped out of her mouth before she substituted 'alterations.' Margaret did not care a straw about these, but she longed to see the old place once more, even though she shivered away from the pain which she knew she should feel.
