Nay, it had instead
given her a new impulse, set her in the way of peace, and helped her
to turn with new effort to the path of duty that was left to her.
And she had grown far happier therein. Her husband had been kinder
to her after she ceased to vex him by a piteous submission and
demonstrative resignation; his child had been given to brighten her
with hope; and that she had gained his daughter's affection I had
found by Veronica's conversation about her, and her tears when
permitted to see her--or rather to enter her dark chamber for a few
moments before going to Hunkerslust, the name of the country-house
near Delf. Those days of darkness, when the fever had spent itself,
and the strength was slowly returning, were indeed a time when hearts
could flow into one another; and certainly I had never found any
friend who so perfectly and entirely suited me as that sweet
Millicent. There was perhaps a lack of strength of resolute will;
she had not the robust temper of my high-spirited Annora, but, on the
other hand, she was not a mere blindly patient Grisel, like my poor
sister-in-law, Cecily d'Aubepine, but could think and resolve for
herself, and hold staunchly to her duty when she saw it, whatever it
might cost her; nor did terror make her hide anything, and thus she
had won old Hunker's trust, and he had even permitted her to attend
the service of exiled English ministers at the Hague.
One of them came to see her two or three times--once when she seemed
to be at the point of death, and twice afterwards, reading prayers
with her, to her great comfort.
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