Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 1.djvu/250

 a moment, as if there might be something indecent in the confession, or dangerous in the recipient; and then, evidently, she was mastered by the comfort of being able to justify herself for an eccentricity that had excited notice, as well as by the luxury of discharging her soul of a long accumulation of timid, sacred sentiment. 'Already, when I was fifteen years old, I wanted to sell all I had and give to the poor. And ever since, I have wanted to do something; it has seemed as if my heart would break if I shouldn't be able!'

Hyacinth was struck with a great respect, which, however, did not prevent him (the words sounded patronising, even to himself), from saying in a moment, 'I suppose you are very religious.'

Lady Aurora looked away, into the thickening dusk, at the smutty housetops, the blurred emanation, above the streets, of lamplight. 'I don't know—one has one's ideas—some of them may be strange. I think a great many clergymen do good, but there are others I don't like at all. I daresay we had too many, always, at home; my father likes them so much. I think I have known too many bishops; I have had the church too much on my back. I daresay they wouldn't think at home, you know, that one was quite what one ought to be but of course they consider me very odd, in every way, as there's no doubt I am. I should tell you that I don't tell them everything; for what's the use, when people don't understand? We are twelve at home, and eight of us are girls; and if you think it's so very splendid, and she thinks so, I should like you both to try it for a little! My father isn't rich, and there is only one of us married, and we are not at all handsome, and—