n depth there
was no reaching. Her ways of thinking, her views of the children's
characters, her estimate of Mr. Touchett--nay, even her tastes as to the
Invalid's letters in the "Traveller's Review," remained only partially
revealed, in spite of Rachel's best efforts at fishing, and attempting
to set the example.

"It really seemed," as she observed to Grace, "as if the more I talk,
the less she says." At which Grace gave way to a small short laugh,
though she owned the force of Rachel's maxim, that to bestow confidence
was the way to provoke it; and forbore to refer to a certain delightful
afternoon that Rachel, in her childhood, had spent alone with a little
girl whom she had never discovered to be deaf and dumb. Still Rachel had
never been able to make out why Grace, with no theories at all, got so
many more confidences than she did. She was fully aware of her sister's
superior attractiveness to common-place people, and made her welcome to
stand first with the chief of their kindred, and most of the clergy and
young ladies around. But it was hard that where Rachel really liked and
met half-way, the intimate confidence should always be bestowed upon
Grace, or even the mother. She had yet to learn that the way to draw out
a snail is not to, grasp its horns, and that halfway meeting is not to
launch one's self to the opposite starting point. Either her
inquiries were too point blank to invite detailed replies, or her own
communications absorbed her too much to leave room for a return. Thus
she told Miss Williams the whole story of the thrush's nest, and all
her own reflections upon the characteristics it betokened; and only
afterwards, on thinking over the conversation, perceived that she had
elicited nothing but that it was very difficult to judge in such cases,
not even any decided assent to her own demonstrations. It was true that
riots and breaches of the peace ceased while Miss Williams was in the
house, and learning and good manners were being fast acquired; but until
Conrade's duplicity should be detected, or the whole disposition of
the family discussed with herself, Rachel doubted the powers of the
instructress. It was true that Fanny was very happy with her, and only
regretted that the uncertainty of the Major's whereabouts precluded his
being informed of the newly-found treasure; but Fanny was sure to be
satisfied as long as her boys were happy and not very naughty, and she
cared very little about people's m