"I do not know it," said Philip.
"Of course you do not KNOW it," returned the questioner. "Do
you not think it?"
"I have no reason to believe it."
"That has nothing to do with it," said Kate. "Things that we
believe without any reason have a great deal more weight with
us. Do you not believe it?"
"No," said Philip, point-blank.
"It is very strange," mused Kate. "Of course you do not know
much about it. She may have misled you, but I am sure that
neither you nor any one else could have cured her of a passion,
especially an unreasonable one, without putting another in its
place. If you did it without that, you are a magician, as Hope
once called you. Philip, I am afraid of you."
"There we sympathize," said Phil. "I am sometimes afraid of
myself, but I discover within half an hour what a very
commonplace land harmless person I am."
Meantime Emilia found herself beside her sister, who was
sketching. After watching Hope for a time in silence, she began
to question her.
"Tell me what you have been doing in all these years," she
said.
"O, I have been at school," said Hope. "First I went through
the High School; then I stayed out of school a year, and
studied Greek and German with my uncle, and music with my aunt,
who plays uncommonly well. Then I persuaded them to let me go
to the Normal School for two years, and learn to be a teacher."
"A teacher!" said Emilia, with surprise. "Is it necessary that
you should be a teacher?"
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