oom.

In a few minutes Cecilia followed her, and entered the parlour into
which Mr. Gray had been shown, without a sign of tears upon her
cheeks. She had been able to assume a look of injured feminine
dignity, of almost magnificent innocence, by which the lawyer was
much startled. She was resolved at any rate to confess no injury done
by herself to her husband, and to say nothing to Mr. Gray of any
injury done by him to her. Mr. Gray, too, was a gentleman, a man over
fifty years of age, who had been solicitor to Mr. Western's father.
He knew the husband in this case well, but he had as yet known
nothing of the wife. He had been simply told by Mr. Western to
understand that he, Mr. Western, had no fault to find with the lady;
that he had not a word to say against her; but that unfortunately
circumstances had so turned out that all married happiness was
impossible for him. Mr. Gray had endeavoured to learn the facts;
but he had been aware that Mr. Western was a man who would not bear
pumping. A question or two he had asked, and had represented to his
client how dreadful was the condition to which he was condemning both
the lady and himself. But his observations were received with that
peculiar cold civility which the man's manner assumed when he felt
that interference was taken in matters which were essentially private
to himself. "It is so, Mr. Gray, that in this case it cannot be
avoided. I wish you to understand, that all pecuniary arrangements
are to be made for Mrs. Western which she herself may desire. Were
she to ask for everything I possess she must have it,--down to the
barest pittance." But at this moment he had not received his wife's
letter.

There was a majesty of beauty about Mrs. Western by which Mr. Gray
was startled, but which he came to recognise before the interview was
over. I cannot say that he understood the cause of the quarrel, but
he had become aware that there was much in the lady very much on a
par with her husband's character. And she, when she found out, as she
did instinctively, that she had to deal with a gentleman, dropped
something of the hauteur of her silence. But she said not a word
as to the cause of their disagreement. Mr. Gray asked the question
in the simplest language. "Can you not tell me why you two have
quarrelled so quickly after your marriage?" But she simply referred
him to her husband. "I think you must ask Mr. Western about that."
Mr. Gray renewed the question, feeling h