The family sitting-room¹ was a long room with a window at each end; one looking toward the croft and along the Ripple² to the banks of the Floss, the other into the mill-yard. Maggie was sitting with her work against the latter window when she saw Mr. Wakem entering the yard, as usual, on his fine black horse; but not alone, as usual. Some one was with him — a figure in a cloak, on a handsome pony³. Maggie had hardly time to feel that it was Philip come back, before they were in front of the window, and he was raising his hat to her; while his father, catching⁴ the movement by a side-glance, looked sharply round at them both.

Maggie hurried away from the window and carried her work upstairs; for Mr. Wakem sometimes came in and inspected the books, and Maggie felt that the meeting with Philip would be robbed of all pleasure in the presence of the two fathers. Some day, perhaps, she could see him when they could just shake hands, and she could tell him that she remembered his goodness to Tom, and the things he had said to her in the old days, though they could never be friends any more. It was not at all agitating⁵ to Maggie to see Philip again; she retained her childish gratitude⁶ and pity toward him, and remembered his cleverness; and in the early weeks of her loneliness she had continually recalled the image of him among the people who had been kind to her in life, often wishing she had him for a brother and a teacher, as they had fancied it might have been, in their talk together. But that sort of wishing had been banished⁷ along with other dreams that savored⁸ of seeking her own will; and she thought, besides, that Philip might be altered by his life abroad — he might have become worldly, and really not care about her saying anything to him now. And yet his face was wonderfully little altered — it was only a larger, more

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