Mr. Charnock kept guard over her, so that her other farewells were almost as much restrained as these, and though she hung on Rosamond’s neck, and seemed ready to burst forth with some fervent exclamation, he hovered by, saying, “My dear child, don’t, don’t give way to agitation.  It does you honour, but it cannot be permitted at such a moment.  Lady Rosamond, I appeal to your unfailing good sense to restrain her emotion.”

“I haven’t any good sense, and I think it only hurts her to restrain her emotion,” said Rosamond, with one of her little stamps, pressing Cecil in her arms.  “There, there, my dear, cry,—­never mind, if it will comfort your poor heart.”

“Lady Rosamond!  This is—­Cecil, my dear child!  Your resolution—­ your resignation.  And the boxes are packed, and we shall be late for the train!”

Mr. Charnock was a little jealous of Lady Rosamond as a comforter preferred to himself, and he spoke in a tone which Cecil had never resisted.  She withdrew herself from Rosamond, still tearless, though her chest heaved as if there were a great spasm in it; she gave her hand to Miles, and let him lead her to the carriage; and so Raymond’s widowed bride left Compton Poynsett enfolded in that strange silence which some called sullenness and pride; others, more merciful, stunned grief.

Poor Cecil! there was less pity to be spared to her because of the intense relief it was to be free from her father, and to be able to stand in a knot consulting on the steps, without his coming out to find out what they were talking about, and to favour them with some Dunstone counsel.

The consultation was about Mr. Moy.  It was determined that since Archie was in England, it would be better not to wait till Herbert was recovered, but that Miles and Julius should go together at once to see what effect they could produce on him.

They drove together to his office.  He was a tall man, a few years over forty, and had hitherto been portly and well-preserved, with a certain serene air of complacent prosperity about him, that had always been an irritation to the county families, with whom he tried to assert an equality; but as he rose to greet the brothers, there was a bent and shrunken look about him:  the hair on his temples had visibly whitened, his cheeks seemed to have sunk in, and there were deep furrows on them.  Altogether he had grown full twenty years older in appearance since he had stood proposing a popular toast at the dinner at the town-hall.  There was something nervous and startled in his gray eye, as he saw them enter, though he tried to assume his usual half-bland, half-easy, manner.

“Good morning, Captain Charnock Poynsett.  Good morning, Mr. Charnock, I hope I see you well?” the words faltering a little, as neither sailor nor clergyman took notice of his proffered hand; but he continued his inquiries after the convalescents, though neither inquired in return after Mrs. Moy, feeling, perhaps, that they would rather not hear a very sad account of her state just before letting their inevitable Nemesis descend; also, not feeling inclined for reciprocal familiarity, and wanting to discourage the idea that Miles came for political purposes.