She breathed word very softly to herself The word was "_Snooks " Then she got up with profound sigh, and went to bed The next morning to her meaningly, " hear of you through your friend "

Mr Snooks saw them off from Rome pathetic interrogative perplexity still face, and for Helen retained Miss Winchelsea's hold-all hand as sort of encyclopaedic keepsake On their way back to England Miss Winchelsea on six separate occasions made Fanny promise to write to her the longest of long letters Fanny, it seemed, quite near Mr Snooks Her new school--she was always going to new schools-- only five miles from Steely Bank, and Steely Bank Polytechnic, and first-class schools, that Mr Snooks did his teaching He might even see her at times talk much of him--she and Fanny always spoke of "him," never of Mr Snooks--because Helen was apt unsympathetic things about him Her nature had coarsened , Miss Winchelsea perceived, old Training College days; she had become hard and cynical She thought he had weak face, mistaking refinement for weakness as people of her stamp are apt , and when she heard his name was Snooks, she said she had expected something sort Miss Winchelsea was careful to spare her own feelings , but Fanny was less circumspect

The girls parted in London, and Miss Winchelsea returned, with new interest in life, Girls' High School she an increasingly valuable assistant three years Her new interest in life was Fanny as correspondent, and her lead she wrote her lengthy descriptive letter within fortnight of her return Fanny answered, very disappointingly Fanny indeed had no literary gift, but new to Miss Winchelsea herself deploring the want of gifts in friend That letter was even criticised aloud safe solitude of Miss Winchelsea's study, and her criticism, spoken with great bitterness, was "Twaddle ! " full of just the things Miss Winchelsea's letter full of, particulars school And of Mr Snooks, only this much: " letter from Mr Snooks, and he over me on two Saturday afternoons running He talked about Rome and you; we both talked about you Your ears burnt, my dear . "

Miss Winchelsea repressed desire to demand more explicit information, and wrote the sweetest, long letter again "Tell me all about yourself, dear That journey has quite refreshed our ancient friendship, and I want in touch " About Mr Snooks she simply wrote fifth page that she was glad Fanny had seen him, if he _should ask after her, she was remembered to him very kindly (underlined) And Fanny replied most obtusely key "ancient friendship," reminding Miss Winchelsea of dozen foolish things old schoolgirl days Training College, and saying not word about Mr Snooks !

For nearly week Miss Winchelsea was so angry failure of Fanny as go-between that write to her And then she wrote less effusively, and in her letter she asked point-blank, " seen Mr Snooks ? " Fanny's letter was unexpectedly satisfactory " Mr Snooks," she wrote, and having once named him she kept on about him; all Snooks--Snooks this and Snooks that public lecture, said Fanny, among other things Yet Miss Winchelsea, first glow of gratification, still found this letter little unsatisfactory Fanny report Mr Snooks as saying anything about Miss Winchelsea, nor as looking little white and worn, as he been doing And behold ! before she had replied, came second letter from Fanny same theme, quite gushing letter, and covering six sheets with her loose feminine hand

And second letter was rather odd little thing that Miss Winchelsea only noticed as she re-read it the third time Fanny's natural femininity had prevailed even against the round and clear traditions Training College; she was one she-creatures born all her m'_s and n'_s and u'_s and r'_s and e'_s alike, and to leave her o'_s and a'_s open and her i'_s undotted So only after an elaborate comparison of word with word that Miss Winchelsea felt assured Mr Snooks was not really " Mr Snooks" at all ! In Fanny's first letter of gush Mr "Snooks," in her second the spelling was changed to Mr "Senoks " Miss Winchelsea's hand positively trembled as she turned the sheet over--it meant to her had already begun to seem to her that even the name of Mrs Snooks avoided at too great price, and suddenly--this possibility ! She turned over the six sheets, all dappled critical name, and everywhere the first letter had the form of an _e ! For time she walked the room with hand pressed upon her heart

She spent whole day pondering this change, weighing letter of inquiry that at once discreet and effectual; weighing, too, what action she should take answer came She was resolved that altered spelling was anything more than quaint fancy of Fanny's, write forthwith to Mr Snooks She had now reached stage minor refinements of behaviour disappear Her excuse remained uninvented, but she had the subject of her letter clear in her mind, even hint that "circumstances in my life have changed very greatly since we talked together " But she never gave that hint There came third letter fitful correspondent Fanny The first line proclaimed her "the happiest girl alive "

Miss Winchelsea crushed the letter in her hand--the rest unread--and sat with her face suddenly very still She had received it just before morning school, and had opened it junior mathematicians were well under way Presently she resumed reading with an appearance of great calm But first sheet she went on reading the third without discovering the error:--"told him frankly like his name," the third sheet began " me like it himself-- that sort of sudden, frank way he has"--Miss Winchelsea did know "So , 'couldn't you change it ? ' He didn't see it at first Well, , dear, he had told me what it really meant; it means Sevenoaks, only it has got down to Snooks--both Snooks and Noaks, dreadfully vulgar surnames though they be, are really worn forms of Sevenoaks So --even my bright ideas at times--' got down from Sevenoaks to Snooks, get it back from Snooks to Sevenoaks ? ' long short of , dear, he couldn't refuse me, and he changed his spelling there and then to Senoks bills new lecture And afterwards, when married, put apostrophe and make it Se'noks Wasn't it kind of him to mind that fancy , when many men taken offence ? But just like him all over; as kind as clever Because as that had him of it, had he been ten times Snooks But it all the same "

The class was startled sound of paper being viciously torn, and looked up Miss Winchelsea white face and with some pieces of paper clenched in one hand For few seconds they stared at her stare, and then her expression changed back to more familiar one "Has finished number three ? " she asked in an even tone She remained calm But impositions ruled high that day And she spent two laborious evenings writing letters of various sorts to Fanny, before she found decent congratulatory vein Her reason struggled hopelessly against the persuasion that Fanny had behaved in an exceedingly treacherous manner

One extremely refined and still capable of very sore heart Certainly Miss Winchelsea's heart was very sore She had moods of sexual hostility, she generalised uncharitably about mankind "He forgot himself with me," she said "But Fanny is pink and pretty and soft and fool--a very excellent match for Man " And by way of wedding present she sent Fanny gracefully bound volume of poetry by George Meredith, and Fanny wrote back grossly happy letter "_all_ beautiful " Miss Winchelsea hoped that some day Mr Senoks might take up that slim book and think for moment donor Fanny wrote before and about her marriage, pursuing that fond legend "ancient friendship," and giving her happiness fullest detail And Miss Winchelsea wrote to Helen first time Roman journey, saying nothing marriage, but expressing very cordial feelings

They in Rome at Easter, and Fanny was married August vacation She wrote garrulous letter to Miss Winchelsea, describing her home-coming astonishing arrangements "teeny, weeny" little house Mr Se'noks was now beginning to assume refinement in Miss Winchelsea's memory out of all proportion facts case, and she tried in vain to imagine his cultured greatness in "teeny weeny" little house "Am busy enamelling cosy corner," said Fanny, sprawling end of her third sheet, "so excuse more " Miss Winchelsea answered in her best style, gently poking fun at Fanny's arrangements, and hoping intensely that Mr Se'noks might see the letter Only this hope enabled her to write at all, answering that letter but one in November and one at Christmas

The two latter communications contained urgent invitations for her to Steely Bank on visit during the Christmas holidays She tried that he had told her to ask that, but like Fanny's opulent good-nature but believe that sick blunder ; and she had more than presently write her letter beginning "Dear Friend " Something subtly tragic separation was great support to her, sad misunderstanding jilted intolerable But he never wrote that letter beginning "Dear Friend "

For two years Miss Winchelsea go her friends, reiterated invitations of Mrs Sevenoaks--it became full Sevenoaks second year Then one day near the Easter rest she felt lonely and without soul to understand her , and her mind ran once more on called Platonic friendship Fanny was clearly happy and busy in her new sphere of domesticity, but he had his lonely hours Did he ever think days in Rome, gone now beyond recalling ? No one had understood her as he had done; no one in all the world It sort of melancholy pleasure to him again, and what harm could it do ? Why should she deny herself ? That night she wrote sonnet, all but the last two lines octave--which come; she composed graceful little note Fanny she was coming down

And so she saw him again

Even first encounter evident he had changed; stouter and less nervous, and it speedily appeared that his conversation had already lost much old delicacy There even seemed justification for Helen's description of weakness face--in certain lights weak busy and preoccupied about his affairs, and almost under the impression that Miss Winchelsea had come sake of Fanny He discussed his dinner with Fanny in an intelligent way They only had one good long talk together, came to nothing refer to Rome, and spent abusing man who had stolen an idea he had had for text-book It seem very wonderful idea to Miss Winchelsea She discovered he had forgotten the names of more than half the painters whose work they had rejoiced over in Florence

sadly disappointing week, and Miss Winchelsea was glad when it came to an end Under various excuses she avoided visiting them again After time the visitor's room was occupied by their two little boys, and Fanny's invitations ceased The intimacy of her letters had long since faded away