She waited, expecting Miss Dale to return; then undressed, went to bed, tried to sleep.  She was tired of strife.  Strange thoughts for a young head shot through her:  as, that it is possible for the sense of duty to counteract distaste; and that one may live a life apart from one’s admirations and dislikes:  she owned the singular strength of Sir Willoughby in outwearying:  she asked herself how much she had gained by struggling:—­every effort seemed to expend her spirit’s force, and rendered her less able to get the clear vision of her prospects, as though it had sunk her deeper:  the contrary of her intention to make each further step confirm her liberty.  Looking back, she marvelled at the things she had done.  Looking round, how ineffectual they appeared!  She had still the great scene of positive rebellion to go through with her father.

The anticipation of that was the cause of her extreme discouragement.  He had not spoken to her since he became aware of her attempted flight:  but the scene was coming; and besides the wish not to inflict it on him, as well as to escape it herself, the girl’s peculiar unhappiness lay in her knowledge that they were alienated and stood opposed, owing to one among the more perplexing masculine weaknesses, which she could not hint at, dared barely think of, and would not name in her meditations.  Diverting to other subjects, she allowed herself to exclaim, “Wine, wine!” in renewed wonder of what there could be in wine to entrap venerable men and obscure their judgements.  She was too young to consider that her being very much in the wrong gave all the importance to the cordial glass in a venerable gentleman’s appreciation of his dues.  Why should he fly from a priceless wine to gratify the caprices of a fantastical child guilty of seeking to commit a breach of faith?  He harped on those words.  Her fault was grave.  No doubt the wine coloured it to him, as a drop or two will do in any cup:  still her fault was grave.

She was too young for such considerations.  She was ready to expatiate on the gravity of her fault, so long as the humiliation assisted to her disentanglement:  her snared nature in the toils would not permit her to reflect on it further.  She had never accurately perceived it:  for the reason perhaps that Willoughby had not been moving in his appeals:  but, admitting the charge of waywardness, she had come to terms with conscience, upon the understanding that she was to perceive it and regret it and do penance for it by-and-by:—­by renouncing marriage altogether?  How light a penance!

In the morning, she went to Laetitia’s room, knocked, and had no answer.

She was informed at the breakfast-table of Miss Dale’s departure.  The ladies Eleanor and Isabel feared it to be a case of urgency at the cottage.  No one had seen Vernon, and Clara requested Colonel De Craye to walk over to the cottage for news of Crossjay.  He accepted the commission, simply to obey and be in her service:  assuring her, however, that there was no need to be disturbed about the boy.  He would have told her more, had not Dr. Middleton led her out.