lady in whom we are interested had, on the spot,
deeply, yet almost tacitly, appealed to her, dropped
into her mind the shy conceit of some assistance,
some devotion to render. } Mrs. Stringham's little
life had often been visited "by shy conceits secret
dreams that had fluttered their hour between its
narrow walls without, for any great part, so much
as mustering courage to look out of its rather dim
windows. But this imagination the fancy of a
possible link with the remarkable young thing from
New York had mustered courage: had perched,
on the instant, at the clearest look-out it could find,
and might be said to have remained there till, only
a few months later, it had caught, in surprise and
joy, the unmistakable flash of a signal.

Milly Theale had Boston friends, such as they
were, and of recent making; and it was understood
that her visit to them a visit that was not to be
meagre had been undertaken, after a series of
bereavements, in the interest of the particular peace
that New York could not give. It was recognised,
liberally enough, that there were many things
perhaps even too many New York could give;
but this was felt to make no difference in the con
stant fact that what you had most to do, under the
discipline of life, or of death, was really to feel your
situation as grave. Boston could help you to
that as nothing else could, and it had extended
to Milly, by every presumption, some such measure
of assistance. Mrs. Stringham was never to forget

[[117]]

p116 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p117w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p118

v?