t life; it was
all of a piece, and countless little incidents unnoticed at the time
obtained a significance and were interpreted. She knew herself to be
Phoebe's superior intellectually, and that much had been presented to her
which was altogether over Phoebe's horizon. But in all her purposes, and
in all her activity, she seemed to have had self for a centre, and she
felt that she would gladly give up every single advantage she possessed
if she could but depose that self and enthrone some other divinity in its
place. Oh the bliss of waking up in the morning with the thoughts turned
outwards instead of inwards! Her misery which so weighed upon her might
perhaps depart if she could achieve that conquest. She remembered one of
Mr. Cardew's first sermons, when she was at Miss Ponsonby's, the sermon
of which we have heard something, and she cried to herself, "Who shall
deliver me from the body of this death!"

Strange, but true, precisely at that moment the passion for Mr. Cardew
revived with more than its old intensity. Fresh from a deathbed,
pondering over what she had learned or thought she had learned there--the
very lesson which ought to have taught her to give up Mr. Cardew--she
loved him more than ever, and was less than ever able to banish his image
from her. She turned out of her direct road and took that which led past
his house--swept that way as irresistibly as a mastless hull is swept by
the tide. She knew that Mr. Cardew was in the habit of walking out in
the afternoon, and she knew the path he usually took. She had not gone
far before she met him. She explained what her errand had been, and
added that she preferred the bypath because she was able to avoid the
dusty Eastthorpe lane.

"I do not know these Crowhursts," said Mr. Cardew; "they are Dissenters,
I believe."

The subject dropped, and Catharine had not another word to say about
Phoebe.

"You look fatigued and as if you were not very well."

"Nothing particular; a little cough at times, but the doctor says it is
of no consequence, if I only take care."

"You have been up all night, and you are now going to walk back to
Eastthorpe?"

"Yes, the walk will refresh me."

He did not ask her to go to his house. Catharine noticed the omission;
hoped he would not--knew he would not.

"Have you heard anything of your father's assistant, Mr. Catchpole?"

"Yes, he likes that situation which you obtained for him so kindly."

"Is he quite hap