Mr Gwynne followed
somewhat more leisurely, and received Miss Hall with his usual nervous
reserve of manner, but great courtesy. She responded most warmly to the
embraces of Freda, and quietly to the welcome of Mr Gwynne.
We will not give a minute description of the new comer, because she is
not quite a person to be described. She is neither very good-looking nor
very plain, neither very old nor very young, neither very tall nor very
short, neither very talkative nor very reserved, neither very much
over-dressed nor very much under-dressed, neither very merry nor very
grave. Freda used to say that she was the personification of gentle
dignity and serenity, and in the days of her Italian studies called her
occasionally _La Dignita_, but more frequently _La Serenita_, which
epithet would sometimes be abbreviated into Serena, or Sera, or Nita, or
anything but Miss Hall, which the love of the impulsive pupil, so hard
to obtain, and so great when obtained, thought much too formal.
When Freda took Miss Hall to the delightful apartment she had been
adorning for her for a week past, the first impulse of the older lady
was to throw herself upon the neck of the younger, and burst into tears.
'Dearest Serena, I have been so very sorry for you,' was all that Freda
could say.
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