t, kindling in her wrath. "I cannot hold myself without abusing
him." But it very soon did come to pass that Mr. Western's name was
not mentioned between them. Mrs. Holt would now and again clench her
fist and shake her head, and Cecilia knew that in her thoughts she
was executing some vengeance against Mr. Western; but there was a
truce to spoken words. Cecilia indeed often executed her vengeance
against her husband after some fashion of her own, but her mother did
not perceive it.

Among their Exeter friends there soon came to be an actual breach
with Miss Altifiorla. Miss Altifiorla, as soon as it was known that
Mrs. Western had reappeared in Exeter, had rushed down to greet her
friend. There she had been received coldly by Cecilia, and more
than coldly by Cecilia's mother. "My dear Cecilia," she had said,
attempting to take hold of her friend's hand, "I told you what would
come of it."

"There need be nothing said about it," said Mrs. Western.

"Not after the first occasion," said Miss Altifiorla. "A few
words between us to show that each understands the other will be
expedient."

"I do not see that any words can be of service," said Mrs. Western.

"Not in the least," said Mrs. Holt. "Why need anything be said? You
know that she has been cruelly ill-used, and that is all you need
know."

"I do know the whole history of it," said Miss Altifiorla, who had
taken great pride to herself among the people of Exeter in being the
best-informed person there as to Mrs. Western's sad affairs. "I was
present up to the moment, and I must say that if Cecilia had then
taken my advice things would have been very different. I am not
blaming her."

"I should hope not," said Mrs. Holt.

"But things would have been very different. Cecilia was a little
timid at telling her husband the truth. And Mr. Western was like
other gentlemen. He did not like to be kept in the dark by his wife.
You see that Cecilia has given mortal cause for offence to two
gentlemen."

This was not to be endured. Cecilia did not exactly know all the
facts as they had occurred,--between Miss Altifiorla and Sir
Francis,--and certainly knew none of those which were now in process
of occurring; but she strongly suspected that something had taken
place, that some conversation had been held, between her friend and
Sir Francis Geraldine. She had been allowed to read the letter from
Sir Francis to her husband, and she remembered well the meaning of
it. But sh