But to say that in this regard more
than any other her absence was regretted would be inaccurate.
Cicely felt that she ought to regret it, but she did not. To be so much
with Ralph was contrary to her own plans of action, and to what she
believed to be her mother's notions on the subject; but she could not
help it without being rude to the young man, and this she did not intend
to be. He was lonely and wanted a companion; and in truth, she was glad
to fill the position. If he had not talked to her so much about Dora
Bannister's great goodness, she would have been better pleased. But she
could nearly always turn this sort of conversation upon Miriam's virtues,
and on that subject the two were in perfect accord.
Mrs. Drane intended now to get up sooner in the morning, but she did not
do it; and she resolved that she would not drop asleep in her chair early
in the evening, as she had felt perfectly free to do when Miriam was with
them; but she calmly dozed all the same.
There was another obstacle to Mrs. Drane's good intentions, of which she
knew nothing.
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