'I was a child, a child,' she repeated to herself.
Thinking thus, she lost none of his words.

He spoke of the things which interested her most deeply; how much he could teach her, were such teaching possible! At last she ventured upon a personal question.
'How is Mrs.Eldon ?' She thought he looked at her gratefully; certainly there was a deep kindness in his eyes, a look which was one of the new things she noted in him.
'Very much as when you knew her,' he replied.

'Weaker, I fear.

I have just spent a few days at Agworth.' Doubtless he had often been at Agworth; perchance he was there, so close by, in some of the worst hours of her misery.
When the ladies withdrew Mrs.Boscobel seated herself by Adela for a moment.
'So you really knew Mr.Eldon ?' 'Yes, but it is some time since I saw him,' Adela replied simply, smiling in the joy of being so entirely mistress of herself.
'You were talking pictures, I heard.

You can trust him there; his criticism is admirable.