en sat herself down, very wretchedly, to think of
it all again. It had been all within her grasp,--all of which she
had ever dreamed! And now it was gone! Each of her three companions
strove from time to time to draw her into conversation, but she
seemed to be resolute in her refusal. At first, till her utter
prostration had become a fact plainly recognised by them all, she
made some little attempt at an answer when a direct question was
asked of her; but after a while she only shook her head, and was
silent, giving way to absolute despair.

Late in the evening she went out into the garden, and Priscilla
followed her. It was now the end of July, and the summer was in its
glory. The ladies, during the day, would remain in the drawing-room
with the windows open and the blinds down, and would sit in the
evening reading and working, or perhaps pretending to read and work,
under the shade of a cedar which stood upon the lawn. No retirement
could possibly be more secluded than was that of the garden of the
Clock House. No stranger could see into it, or hear sounds from out
of it. Though it was not extensive, it was so well furnished with
those charming garden shrubs which, in congenial soils, become large
trees, that one party of wanderers might seem to be lost from another
amidst its walls. On this evening Mrs. Stanbury and Mrs. Trevelyan
had gone out as usual, but Priscilla had remained with Nora Rowley.
After a while Nora also got up and went through the window all alone.
Priscilla, having waited for a few minutes, followed her; and caught
her in a long green walk that led round the bottom of the orchard.

"What makes you so wretched?" she said.

"Why do you say I am wretched?"

"Because it's so visible. How is one to go on living with you all day
and not notice it?"

"I wish you wouldn't notice it. I don't think it kind of you to
notice it. If I wanted to talk of it, I would say so."

"It is better generally to speak of a trouble than to keep it to
oneself," said Priscilla.

"All the same, I would prefer not to speak of mine," said Nora.

Then they parted, one going one way and one the other, and Priscilla
was certainly angry at the reception which had been given to the
sympathy which she had proffered. The next day passed almost without
a word spoken between the two. Mrs. Stanbury had not ventured as yet
to mention to her guest the subject of the rejected lover, and had
not even said much on the subject to Mrs.