"Don't you think those effects are exaggerated?" She lost herself for a moment, as we have already seen she was in the habit of doing, or rather, she did not lose herself, but everything excepting herself, and she spoke as if nobody but herself were present. "Not in the least exaggerated. What a horror to pass days in dreaming about one particular thing, and to have no power to wake!" Her head had fallen a little forward; she suddenly straightened herself; the blood rose in her face, and she looked very confused. "I should like to preach about Dr. Johnson," said Mr. Cardew. "Really, Mr. Cardew," interposed the elder Miss Ponsonby, "Dr. Johnson is scarcely a sacred subject." "I beg your pardon; I do not mean preaching on the Sabbath. I should like to lecture about him. It is a curious thing, Miss Ponsonby, that although Johnson was such a devout Christian, yet in his troubles his remedy is generally nothing but that of the Stoics--courage and patience." Nobody answered, and an awkward pause followed. Catharine had not recovered from the shock of self-revelation, and the Misses Ponsonby were uneasy, not because the conversation had taken such an unusual turn, but because a pupil had contributed. Mrs. Cardew, distressed at her husband's embarrassment, ventured to come to the rescue. "I think Dr Johnson quite right: when I am in pain, and nothing does me any good, I never have anything to say to myself, excepting that I must just be quiet, wait and bear it." This very plain piece of pagan common sense made matters worse. Mr. Cardew seemed vexed that his wife had spoken, and there was once more silence for quite half a minute. Miss Adela Ponsonby then rang the bell, and Catharine, in accordance with rule, left the room. "Rather a remarkable young woman," carelessly observed the rector. "Decidedly!" said both the Misses Ponsonby, in perfect unison. "She has been much neglected," continued Miss Ponsonby. "Her manners leave much to be desired. She has evidently not been accustomed to the forms of good society, or to express herself in accordance with the usual practice. We have endeavoured to impress upon her that, not only is much care necessary in the choice of topics of conversation, but in the mode of dealing with them. I thought it better not to encourage any further remarks from her, or I should have pointed out that, if what you say of Dr. Johnson is correct, as I have no doubt it is, considering the party in the church to which he belonged, it only shows that he was unacquainted experimentally with the consolations of religion." "Isn't Mr. Cardew a dear?" asked Miss Arden, when she and Catharine were together. "I hardly understand what you mean, and I have not known Mr. Cardew long enough to give any opinion upon him." "How exasperating you are again! You _do_ know what I mean; but you always pretend never to know what anybody means." "I do _not_ know what you mean."