which he lives, it is almost impossible to conceive
that a person should not have heard of it."

"We need not tell her."

"You are quite safe with me. I have given you my word, and that ought
to be enough. Nobody could have been more studious to avoid the
matter;--though, indeed, it has sometimes been difficult. And then
there has been my feeling of doubt whether my duty ought not to make
me divulge it." There was something in this which was peculiarly
painful to Cecilia. The duty of this woman to her husband, to him
whom she loved so truly, to him with whom it was in the very core
of her heart to have everything in common! Francesca Altifiorla to
speak of her duty to him! But even this had to be borne. "Indeed, I
feel every day that I am staying here that I am sacrificing duty to
friendship." Oh, into what trouble had she fallen without any sin of
her own,--as she told herself;--without, at least, any great sin!
When was the moment at which she ought to have told the story? She
thought that she could remember the exact moment; when he had come
back to her for her answer at the end of that week. And then she had
not told him, simply from her dislike to repeat back to him the story
which she had heard from himself!

Lady Grant came, and nothing could be sweeter or more gracious than
the meeting. Miss Altifiorla was not there, and the two ladies, in
the presence of the husband and brother, received each other with
that quick intimacy and immediate loving friendship which it is given
only to women to entertain. Lady Grant was ten years the senior and
a widow, and had that air of living through the evening of her life
instead of still enjoying the morning, which is peculiar to widows
who have loved their husbands. She was very lovely, even in her
mitigated widow's weeds, with a tall figure, and pale oval face,
rather thin, but not meagre or attenuated. And Cecilia thought that
she saw in her a determination to love her,--and she on her side at
once determined that she would return Lady Grant's affection. But
not for that reason was her secret to be known. She looked on Lady
Grant as one whom she would so willingly have made her friend in all
things, but still as one whom, as to that single matter, she could
not but regard as her enemy.

They sat together for a couple of hours before dinner, and then at
night there was another sitting from which Miss Altifiorla was again
banished. And there were some joking questions a