her so, and have done with it. There could be no fault
found with her. It had hitherto been free to her to tell it or not
as she pleased. "I had not meant to have disclosed my secret, but now
it is necessary." Even had he fancied that she had "invented it" in
part and made it like to his own, no harm,--no dangerous harm would
come from that. He could but be angry and recede from his offer.
But she found that she did not wish him to recede. Her objections
to matrimony had all been cured. She told herself at the last
moment that she was not able to undergo the absurdity of such a
revelation,--and she accepted him.

CHAPTER V.

CECILIA'S SECOND CHANCE.

It became at once necessary that Mr. Western should start off for
London. That had been already explained. He would go, whether
accepted or refused. When she had named a week, he had told her that
he should only have just time to wait for her reply. She offered to
be ready in five days, but he would not hurry her. During the week
she had hardly seen him, but she was aware that he remained silent,
moody, almost sullen. She was somewhat afraid of his temper;--but yet
she had found him in other respects so open, so noble, so consistent!
"It shall be so," she said, putting her hand into his. Then his very
nature seemed to have changed. It appeared as though nothing could
restrain him in the expression of his satisfaction. Nothing could be
more quietly joyous than his manner. He was to have left Rome by a
mid-day train, but he would wait for a train at midnight in order
that he might once dine with his own wife that was to be. "You will
kill yourself with the fatigue," Cecilia said. But he laughed at her.
It was not so easy to kill him. Then he sat with her through the
long morning, telling her of the doings of his past life, and his
schemes for the life to come. He had a great book which he wanted to
write,--as to which everybody might laugh at him but she must not
laugh. He laughed at himself and his aspiration; but she promised all
her sympathy, and she told him of their house at Exeter, and of her
mother's future loneliness. He would do anything for her within his
power. Her mother should live with them if she wished it. And she
spoke of the money which was to be her own, and told him of the offer
which her mother had made as to giving up a portion of it. Of this
he would have none. And he told her how it must be settled. And he
behaved just as a lover should do