as to the
man's character, still she felt the fall, and inwardly grieved over
it. She had not known herself at first,--how grievous would be her
isolation when she found herself alone. Such was the case with
her now, so that she fretted and made herself ill. By degrees she
confined herself more and more to the house, till her mother seeing
it, interfered. She became sick, captious, and querulous. The old
family doctor interfered and advised that she should be taken away
from Exeter. "For ever?" asked Mrs. Holt. The doctor did not say for
ever. Mrs. Holt might probably be able to let the house for a year
and go elsewhere for that period. Then there arose questions as to
all the pretty furniture, and their household goods. Cecilia herself
was most unwilling. But before Christmas came, arrangements had been
made, and the house was let, and the first of January saw Mrs. Holt
and her daughter comfortably established in a pension at Nice. Mrs.
Holt at any rate declared that she was comfortable, though Cecilia
on her mother's behalf stated it to be impossible. She herself told
herself,--though she had whispered no word on the subject to living
ears,--she herself told herself that she had been driven abroad by
the falsehood which Sir Francis had told. She could not bear to live
in Exeter as the girl that had been jilted.

This is the episode in the life of Cecilia Holt which it is necessary
should be first told.

CHAPTER IV.

MR. WESTERN.

The Holts travelled about during the whole of that year, passing the
summer in Switzerland and the autumn in the north of Italy, and found
themselves at Rome in November, with the intention of remaining there
for the winter. One place was the same to them as another, and it
was necessary that they should at any rate exist until the term had
expired for which they had let their house. Mrs. Holt had I think
enjoyed her life. She had been made more of than at home, and had
been happy amidst the excitement. But with Cecilia it had been
for many months as though all things had been made of leather and
prunello. She had not cared, or had not seemed to care, for scenery
or for cities. In that last episode of her life she had aspired to
a new career, and had at first been fairly successful. And she had
loved the man honestly for a time, and had buoyed herself up with
great intentions as to the future duties of her life. Then had come
her downfall, in which it was commonly said of her t