One afternoon, however, I got leave to stay at home, because I really had a cold. His sisters were gone to Morton in my stead: I sat reading Schiller; he, deciphering his crabbed Oriental scrolls. As I exchanged a translation for an exercise, I happened to look his way: there I found myself under the influence of the ever-watchful blue eye. How long it had been searching me through and through, and over and over, I cannot tell: so keen was it, and yet so cold, I felt for the moment superstitious--as if I were sitting in the room with something uncanny.

     "Jane, what are you doing?"

     "Learning German."

     "I want you to give up German and learn Hindostanee."

     "You are not in earnest?"

     "In such earnest that I must have it so: and I will tell you why."