"I hope all is safe for today," thought Christian, anxiously, and
determined to speak to Titia's father the first opportunity. He was
dining in hall today, and afterward they were to go to the long-delayed
entertainment at the vice chancellor's, which was to inaugurate her
entrance into Avonsbridge society.
Miss Gascoigne was full of it; and during all the time that the three
ladies were dining together, she talked incessantly, so that, even had
she wished, Mrs. Grey could not have got in a single word of inquiry
concerning Miss Bennett. She however, judged it best to wait quietly
till the cloth was removed and Barker vanished.
Christian was not what is termed a "transparent" character; that is, she
could "keep herself to herself," as the phrase is, better than most
people. It was partly from habit, having lived so long in what was
worse than loneliness, under circumstances when she was obliged to
maintain the utmost and most cautious silence upon every thing, and
partly because her own strong nature prevented the necessity of letting
her mind and feelings bubble over on all occasions and to every body,
as is the manner of weaker but yet very amiable women. But, on the
other hand, though she could keep a secret sacredly, rigidly--so rigidly
as to prevent people's even guessing that there was a secret to be kept,
she disliked unnecessary mysteries and small deceptions exceedingly.
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