Bildungsromans; Love stories; Young women -- England -- Fiction
Lucilla conducted herself, as might have been expected, in a much more
rational and dignified manner. She made herself very agreeable to the
Archdeacon, who unbended very much, and grew very nice, as Mrs Chiley
herself allowed. "But, my dear, I am uneasy about his opinions," the old
lady said. He certainly had a very free way of talking, and was ready to
discuss _anything_, and was not approved of by Mr Bury. But still he had
very good connections and a nice position, and had always a chance of
being Bishop of Carlingford; and in marriage it is well known that one
never can have everything one wants. So that, on the whole, even Mrs
Chiley did not see what difference his opinions made, so far as Lucilla
was concerned. When Miss Marjoribanks went down to Colonel Chiley's in
the evening and made tea for the old people, like a daughter of the
house, Mr Beverley was always disposed to go over to the enemy, as the
old Colonel said. No doubt he had enough of Colonel Chiley, who had not
received a new idea into his mind since the battle of Waterloo, and did
not see what people had to do with such nonsense. And then the
Archdeacon would very often walk home with the young visitor. During
this time, as was natural, Mr Beverley heard Mr Cavendish's name a
hundred times, and regretted, like all the world, that so eminent a
member of the Carlingford commonwealth should be absent during his
visit; but, at the same time, Lucilla took great care to avoid all
personalities, and kept a discreet silence even about the gifts and
accomplishments of her almost-lover. Mrs Chiley sighed, poor soul, when
she saw how her young friend avoided this subject, and thought sometimes
that he was forgotten, sometimes that the poor dear was breaking her
heart for him; but it is needless to say that neither of these
suppositions was in the least true.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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