For
pleasure in the ordinary sense she did not admit into her scheme of
existence; the season for that had gone by. Henceforth she must
think, and work, and pray. Therefore she had set herself gladly to
learn German; it was a definite task to which such and such hours
could be devoted, and the labour would strengthen her mini Her
ignorance she represented as a great marsh which by toil had to be
filled up and converted into solid ground. She had gone through the
library catalogue and made a list of books which seemed needful to
be read; and Mr. Wyvern had been of service in guiding her, as well
as in lending volumes from his own shelves. The vicar, indeed, had
surprised her by the zealous kindness with which he entered into all
her plans; at first she had talked to him with apprehension,
remembering that chance alone had prevented her from appealing to
him to save her from this marriage. But Mr. Wyvern, with whose
philosophy we have some acquaintance, exerted himself to make the
best of the irremediable, and Adela already owed him much for his
unobtrusive moral support. Even Mutimer was putting aside his
suspicions and beginning to believe that the clergyman would have
openly encouraged Socialism had his position allowed him to do so.
He was glad to see his wife immersed in grave historical and
scientific reading; he said to himself that in this way she would be
delivered from her religious prejudices, and some day attain to
'free thought.
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