uss either her anger
or her hopes. Her mother she knew shared her anger to the full, but
entertained hopes altogether different. Her desires were so different
that they hardly amounted to hopes. Yes, he might be allowed to
return, but with words of absolute contrition, with words which
should always be remembered against him. Such would have been Mrs.
Holt's expression as to the state of things had she ventured to
express herself. But she understood enough of her daughter's feelings
to repress them.

The only person who sympathised with Cecilia and her present
condition was the girl who had once before evoked from her so
strong a feeling of tenderness. She did know that the man had to be
forgiven, terrible as had been his sin, and that nothing more was to
be said about it. "Oh, ma'am," she said, "he'll come back now! I'm
sure he'll come back now, and never more have any of them silly
vagaries."

"Who can say what vagaries a man may choose to indulge?"

"That's true too, ma'am. That any man should have had such a vagary
as this! But he's dying to come back. I'm sure of it. And when he
does come and finds that he's let to come quiet, and that he's asked
to say nothing as he don't like, and that you are all smiles to him
and kindness,--and then with the baby coming and all,--my belief is
that he'll be happier then than he was even the first day when he had
you." This, though spoken in rough language, so exactly expressed
Cecilia's wishes, that she did feel that her maid at least entirely
sympathised with her.

CHAPTER XIX.

DICK TAKES HIS FINAL LEAVE.

When Sir Francis received the reply which Miss Altifiorla sent to his
letter, he was not altogether satisfied with it. He had expected that
the lady would at once have flown into his arms. But the lady seemed
to hesitate, and asked for a week to think about it. This showed
so much ingratitude on her part,--was so poor an acknowledgment of
the position which he had offered her, that he was inclined to be
indignant. "D---- it; if she don't care about it she sha'n't have
it." It was thus that he expressed himself aloud in the hearing of
Dick Ross; but without however explaining who the she was, or what
the it was, or indeed in any way asking Dick's opinion on the matter.
Not the less had Miss Altifiorla been wise in the nature of the
reply which she had given. Had she expressed her warm affection, and
at once accepted all that had been proffered, the gentleman