Neith Boyce

“ Cecilia, much disturbed, tried to calm him.
"You know you mustn't excite yourself," she argued; "it will only make things worse. I don't see why you should be so upset. I don't mind being quiet—not a bit. All this, travelling and all, is exciting for me anyway, you know. And the lovely things you've given me—I'm delighted with them—only you give me too much. You're too kind. And I'll do anything in the world I can for you "
"Kind," sighed Mr. Hawley. ”

“ Mr. Hawley was very critical of women's dress and much more positive in his taste than Cecilia. And Cecilia, at tired as she was now, pleased his taste extremely. He touched the soft gray fur of her muff with a discreet caress.
"Shall we go on? It's nearly four o'clock," he said.
Cecilia went unreluctant. She liked best the sights to be seen from a carriage. And, in fact, during the fortnight they had been in Paris she had not seen many others. Shopping had taken up much of their time; drives, lunching, and dining the rest. ”

“ These things the world said were beautiful, and Cecilia never doubted it. Only she could not see that beauty, and she felt ignorant and oppressed. She stared up at the white eyeballs of the Venus, too much depressed even to care what Baedeker said. Then she found Mr. Hawley was looking, as usual, at her, and she went to sit down beside him. ”