ood them when the words came from
Mr. Saul's own mouth. Harry Clavering had acknowledged to himself that
it was impossible not to respect the poor curate.

To Mrs. Clavering, of course, fell the task of explaining to Fanny what
had been done, and what was going to be done. "He is to go away, my
dear, at the end of two months."

"Very well, mamma."

"And, of course, you and he are not to meet before that."

"Of course not, if you and papa say so."

"I have told your papa that it will only be necessary to tell you this,
and that then you can go to your school just as usual, if you please.
Neither papa nor I would doubt your word for a moment."

"But what can I do if he comes to me?" asked Fanny, almost whimpering.

"He has said that he will not, and we do not doubt his word either."

"That I am sure you need not. Whatever anybody may say, Mr. Saul is as
much a gentleman as though he had the best living in the diocese. No one
ever knew him break his word--not a hair's breadth--or do--anything
else--that he ought--not to do." And Fanny, as she pronounced this
rather strong eulogium, began to sob. Mrs. Clavering felt that Fanny was
headstrong, and almost ill-natured, in speaking in this tone of her
lover, after the manner in which she had been treated; but there could
be no use in discussing Mr. Saul's virtues, and therefore she let the
matter drop. "If you will take my advice," she said, "you will go about
your occupations just as usual. You'll soon recover your spirits in that
way."

"I don't want to recover my spirits," said Fanny; "but if you wish it,
I'll go on with the schools."

It was quite manifest now that Fanny intended to play the role of a
broken-hearted young lady, and to regard the absent Mr. Saul with
passionate devotion. That this should be so Mrs. Clavering felt to be
the more cruel, because no such tendencies had been shown before the
paternal sentence against Mr. Saul had been passed. Fanny, in telling
her own tale, had begun by declaring that any such an engagement was an
impossibility. She had not asked permission to have Mr. Saul for a
lover. She had given no hint that she even hoped for such permission.
But now when that was done which she herself had almost dictated, she
took upon herself to live as though she were ill-used as badly as a
heroine in a castle among the Apennines! And in this way she would
really become deeply in love with Mr. Saul--thinking of all which Mrs.
Clavering almos