, but Adela ventured to abide by the vicar's
choice. She went to her own sitting-room and sought the story that Letty
had spoken of. From 'The Ugly Duckling' she was led on to the story of
the mermaid, from that to the enchanted swans. The book had never been
in her hands before, and the delight she received from it was of a kind
quite new to her. She had to make an effort to close it and turn to her
specified occupations. For Adela had so systematised her day that no
minute's margin was left for self-indulgence. Her reading was serious
study. If ever she was tempted to throw open one of the volumes which
Alice left about, a glance at the pages was enough to make her push it
away as if it were impure. She had read very few stories of any kind,
and of late had felt a strong inclination towards such literature;
the spectacle of Alice's day-long absorption was enough to excite
her curiosity, even if there had not existed other reasons. But these
longings for a world of romance she crushed down as unworthy of a woman
to whom life had revealed its dread significances: and, though she
but conjectured the matter and tone of the fiction Alice delighted in,
instinctive fear would alone have restrained her from it. For pleasure
in the ordinary sense she did not admit into her scheme of existence;
the season for that had gone by. Henceforth she must think, and work,
and pray. Therefore she had set herself gladly to learn German; it was
a definite task to which such and such hours could be devoted, and the
labour would strengthen her mini Her ignorance she represented as a
great marsh which by toil had to be filled up and converted into solid
ground. She had gone through the library catalogue and made a list
of books which seemed needful to be read; and Mr. Wyvern had been of
service in guiding her, as well as in lending volumes from his own
shelves. The vicar, indeed, had surprised her by the zealous kindness
with which he entered into all her plans; at first she had talked to him
with apprehension, remembering that chance alone had prevented her from
appealing to him to save her from this marriage. But Mr. Wyvern, with
whose philosophy we have some acquaintance, exerted himself to make
the best of the irremediable, and Adela already owed him much for his
unobtrusive moral support. Even Mutimer was putting aside his suspicions
and beginning to believe that the clergyman would have openly encouraged
Socialism had his position allowed