to Durton and made his way into the house,
and Miss Altifiorla was there and saw it all; and then you were
told."

"He is a mean brute."

"But I am not a brute. Am I a brute? Say that I am nice once more.
You know everything now,--everything, everything. I do own that I
have been wrong to conceal it. My very soul should be laid bare to
you."

"Cecilia, I will never be hard to you again."

"I do not say that you have been hard. I do not accuse you. I know
that I have been wrong, and I am quite content that we should again
be friends. Oh, George, just at this moment I think it is sweeter
than if you had never sent me away."

And so the reconciliation was made, and Mr. Western and Cecilia were
once more together. But no doubt to her mind, as she thought of it
all, there was present the happy conviction that she had been more
sinned against than sinning. She had forgiven, whereas she might have
exacted forgiveness. She had been gracious, whereas she might have
followed her mother's advice and have been repellent till she had
brought him to her feet. As it was, her strong desire to have him
once again had softened her, and now she had the double reward. She
had what she wanted, and was able to congratulate herself at the same
time on her virtue. But he, though he had too what he wanted, became
gradually aware that he had been cruel, stiff-necked, and obdurate.
She was everything that he desired, but he was hardly happy because
he was conscious that he had been unjust. And he was a man that loved
justice even against himself, and could not be quite happy till he
had made restitution.

He stayed a week with her at Exeter, during which time he so far
recovered himself as to be able to dine at the deanery, and return
Dr. Pigrum's call. Then he was to start for his own house in
Berkshire, having asked Mrs. Holt to come to them a fortnight before
Christmas. He would have called on Miss Altifiorla had he not
understood that Miss Altifiorla in her present state of mind received
no visitors. She gave it out that since men had been men and women
had been women, no woman had been so basely injured as herself. But
she intended to redress the wrongs of her sex by a great movement,
and was devoting herself at present to hard study with that object.
She used to be seen daily walking two miles and back on the Crediton
Road, it being necessary to preserve her health for the sake of the
great work she had in hand. But it was underst