sked and answers
given as to Miss Altifiorla's presence. There was a something in the
manner and gait of Lady Grant which made Cecilia almost ashamed of
her Exeter friend. It was not that Miss Altifiorla was ignorant, or
unladylike, or ill-dressed; but that she knew her friend too well.
Miss Altifiorla was little and mean, whereas Cecilia was ready to
accept her sister-in-law as great and noble. Miss Altifiorla was not
therefore spoken of in the highest terms, and the mode of her coming
to Durton Lodge without an invitation was subjected to some little
ridicule.

But Mrs. Western when she went to her room was comforted at any rate
in thinking that Lady Grant did not know her secret. How poor must
have been her state of comfort may be judged from the fact that this
could add to it. On the following morning they met at breakfast, and
all went well. But Lady Grant could not but notice that the young
lady from Devonshire seemed to exercise an authority incommensurate
with the tone in which she had been described. The day passed by
happily enough, and Cecilia was strong in hope that Lady Grant might
take her departure without a reference to her one subject of sorrow.

That night, however, her comfort, such as it was, was brought to an
end. As they were sitting together in Lady Grant's bedroom Cecilia's
ears were suddenly wounded by the mention of the name of Sir Francis
Geraldine. In her immediate agony she could hardly tell how it
occurred, but she was rapidly asked a question as to her former
engagement. In the asking of it there was nothing rough, nothing
unkind, nothing intended to wound, nothing to show a feeling that it
should not be so;--but the question had been asked. There was the
fact that Lady Grant knew the whole story.

But there was the fact also that her husband did not know it, or else
that other fact which she would have given the world to know to be a
fact,--that he knew it, and had willingly held his peace respecting
it, even to his sister. If that could be so, then she could be happy;
if that could be so,--if she could know that it was so, then could
she afford to despise Miss Altifiorla and her tyranny. But though
the word had been not yet a moment uttered, she could not at first
remember how it had been said. There was simply the knowledge that
the name of Sir Francis Geraldine had been used, and that it had been
declared that she had been engaged to him. Up to this moment she had
been very brave,