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.