It was pain to open her eyes, but when she did so, and met Stella's silent gaze, she knew that love was offered her, a love of which it was needless to speak.
Mrs.Waltham was rather afraid of Stella; privately she doubted whether the poor thing was altogether in her perfect mind.

When the visitor came the mother generally found occupation or amusement elsewhere, conversation with Stella was so extremely difficult.

Mr.Westlake was also at Exmouth, but much engaged in literary work.

There was, too, an artist and his family, with whom the Westlakes were acquainted, their name Boscobel.

Mrs.Boscobel was a woman of the world, five-and-thirty, charming, intelligent; she read little, but was full of interest in literary and artistic matters, and talked as only a woman can who has long associated with men of brains.