lainous paper and obey that dreadful summons? Why allow all her
precautions, all the fabric of her life to fall in a moment? Why pour
upon the boy the horror of that revelation, when everything she had done
and planned all his life had been to keep it from him? In the sudden
energy of that new possibility of escape Elinor rose up again from the
prostration of despair. She saw once more the line of shining water at
her feet full of heavenly splendour, the mountain tops sunning
themselves in the morning light, the peace and the beauty that was over
all. And there was nothing needed but a long journey, which would be
delightful, full of pleasure and refreshment, to secure her peace to
her, and to save her boy.

When she had calmed herself with this new project, which, the moment it
took form in her mind seemed of itself, without reference to the cause,
the most delightful project in the world and full of pleasure--Elinor
smoothed back her hair, put her garden hat, which had got a little out
of order, straight, and took her way again towards the house. Her heart
had already escaped from the shock and horror and was beating softly,
exhausted yet refreshed, in her bosom. She felt almost like a child who
had sobbed all its troubles out, or like a convalescent recovering from
a brief but violent illness, and pathetically happy in the cessation of
pain. She went along quietly, slowly, by the woodland path among the
trees full of the sweetness of the morning which seemed to have come
back to her. Should she say anything about it to her mother, or only by
degrees announce to her the plan she had begun to form for Pippo's
pleasure, the long delightful ramble which would come between his
school-time and the university? She had almost decided that she would do
this when she went into the house; but she had not been half an hour
with her mother when her intention became untenable, for the good reason
that she had already told Mrs. Dennistoun of the new incident. They were
not in the habit of keeping secrets from each other, and in that case
there is nothing in the world so difficult. It requires training to keep
one's affairs to one's self in the constant presence of those who are
our nearest and dearest. Some people may be capable of this effort of
self-control, but Elinor was not. She had showed that alarming paper to
her mother with a partial return of her own terror at the sight of it
before she knew. And I need not say that for a