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They seemed hardly young to Philip , but perhaps they were not more than twenty-five : the elder , Thekla , was as short as her mother , with the same , rather shifty air , but with a pretty face and abundant dark hair ; Anna , her younger sister , was tall and plain , but since she had a pleasant smile Philip immediately preferred her . She was a plain girl , with a square face and blunt features . The room was very hot , for the stove had been alight all day and the windows were seldom opened . The Vicar of Surle , a tiny hamlet by the sea , was to be seen every evening in the public house a stone 's throw from his vicarage ; and the churchwardens had been to Mr. Carey to ask his advice . Fraulein Thekla , the professor 's elder daughter , was engaged to a man in England who had spent twelve months in the house to learn German , and their marriage was to take place at the end of the year . First , as the result of heaven knows what scheming , by dint of humble prayers and veiled threats , the parents of the young Englishman to whom Fraulein Thekla was engaged had invited her to visit them in England , and she had set off with an album of water colours to show how accomplished she was and a bundle of letters to prove how deeply the young man had compromised himself . Professor Erlin prided himself on his skill in preparing this mild intoxicant , and after supper the large bowl of hock and soda , with scented herbs floating in it and wild strawberries , was placed with solemnity on the round table in the drawing-room . She was so thin that she seemed almost transparent , the arms she put round his neck were frail bones that reminded you of chicken bones , and her faded face was oh ! Finally , we hope that our students will simply be better educated when they graduate , with a broader perspective on the extraordinary variety and range of applications of mathematics . Starting salaries are almost at the level enjoyed by engineering graduates , and the opportunities for advancement in actuarial science are excellent . The silent old ladies who sat at the top of the table near the Frau Professor were in a flutter , and when Fraulein Hedwig said she was to go home at once for the formal engagement to take place , the Frau Professor , regardless of expense , said she would give a _ Maibowle _ . But what embarrassed Philip most was that she was heavily powdered : he had very strict views on feminine behaviour and did not think a lady ever powdered ; but of course Miss Wilkinson was a lady because she was a clergyman 's daughter , and a clergyman was a gentleman .