' Adela as yet had no such end in view, but already
she understood that her education, in the serious sense, was only
now beginning. As a girl, her fate had been that of girls in
general; when she could write without orthographical errors, and
could play by rote a few pieces of pianoforte music, her education
had been pronounced completed. In the profound moral revolution
which her nature had recently undergone her intellect also shared;
when the first numbing shock had spent itself, she felt the growth
of an intellectual appetite formerly unknown. Resolutely setting
herself to exalt her husband, she magnified his acquirements, and,
as a duty, directed her mind to the things he deemed of importance.
One of her impulses took the form of a hope which would have vastly
amused Richard had he divined it. Adela secretly trusted that some
day her knowledge might be sufficient to allow her to cope with her
husband's religious scepticism. It was significant that she could
face in this way the great difficulty of her life; the stage at
which it seemed sufficient to iterate creeds was already behind her.
Probably Mr. Wyvern' 5 conversation was not without its effect in
aiding her to these larger views, but she never spoke to him on the
subject directly. Her native dignity developed itself with her
womanhood, and one of the characteristics of the new Adela was a
reserve which at times seemed to indicate coldness or even spiritual
pride.
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