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Rh for her physical, morale and intellectual attributes were so finely balanced as to make her an exceptionally complete human being; nor was she so much mistaken in her estimate of Sophie. Her instinctive hesitation in disturbing her friend's convictions shows a fine insight into character; for this young lady, cut adrift from her old moorings, tossed violently from opinion to opinion, and after much mental perturbation, lapsed again into Catholicism. Manon's epistolary tone during these mental distresses is gentle, as towards a sick child. With much philosophy, she is equally ready to utter her thoughts as frankly as heretofore, or to hold her tongue, whichever may best suit her friend's mood. But outspoken sincerity or tolerant silence were alike intolerable to Sophie. Nothing would content her but that her friend should retrace her steps and re-enter the fold. This being impossible, the old effusiveness at times suffered some constraint, which, however, disappeared when the Cannets paid an occasional visit to Paris.

Manon's natural bias became gradually more manifest, and preoccupations with man's social well-being engaged her in preference to theological and metaphysical subjects. During her mother's lifetime she must also have observed a certain reserve as regards some topics, for she dreaded nothing more than hurting her feelings. Deeply as she loved her mother, a subtle reticence had sprung up between them, especially since Manon had emerged from childhood. Madame Phlipon's deep but undemonstrative feelings did not call forth that full flow of confidence which the daughter, with some encouragement, would have been prepared to indulge in. In order to know what was passing in Manon's mind, the copious epistles to Sophie were usually left unsealed on the table for a while; and,