uld life be so quiet
for her as at home. "Mamma," she had said, "let us prepare ourselves
for what is to come. You and I mean to live together happily, and our
life must be a home life!" Then she applied herself specially to the
flowers and the shrubs, and began even to look after the vegetables
in the fulness of her energy. In these days she did not see much
of her three friends. In August Maude was married and became Mrs.
Thorne. Mr. Thorne was the eldest son of a Squire from Honiton for
whom things were to be made modestly comfortable during his father's
life. Maude's coming marriage had not been counted as much during the
days of her friend's high hopes, but had risen in consideration since
the fall which had taken place. Between Miss Altifiorla and Cecilia
there had come, not a quarrel, but a coolness. The two ladies did
continue to see each other occasionally, but there was but little
between them to console misery. Miss Altifiorla had attempted
to resume her position of equality,--unreasoned and imaginary
equality,--with perhaps a slight step in advance to which in their
present circumstances she was entitled by their age. Cecilia cared
nothing for equality, but would not consent to be held to have lost
anything. Though Miss Altifiorla declared that her friend had risen
very highly in her sentiments, there was too evidently a depreciation
in her manner; and this Cecilia could not endure. Consequently the
two ladies were not, at this period, of much comfort one to the
other. With Mrs. Green matters might have been different; but Mrs.
Green too manifestly thought that Cecilia had been wrong, and still
clung to the idea that with proper management the baronet might be
made to come back again. With a lady holding such ideas as these
there could be no sympathy.

In owning the truth it must be confessed that Cecilia at this period
of her life was too self-conscious. She did not think, but felt, that
the world all around her was suffused by a Holt-Geraldine aspect and
flavour. She could not walk abroad without an idea that the people
whom she saw were talking about her. She could not shut herself in
her garden without a conviction that the passers-by were saying that
the girl living there had been jilted by Sir Francis Geraldine. She
had been well aware of the greatness of the position in which she
was to have been placed; and though she had abandoned the situation
without a doubt as soon as she had learned her mistake