And thus she opposed to the mother's new
watchfulness the watchfulness of the child. And Hermione noticed it,
and wondered whether Vere had any suspicion of the surreptitious
reading of her poems.
But that was scarcely possible.
Hermione had not said a word to Vere of her discovery that Peppina had
done what she had been told not to do--related the story of her fate.
Almost all delicate-minded mothers and daughters find certain subjects
difficult, if not impossible of discussion, even when an apparent
necessity of their discussion arrives in the course of life. The
present reserve between Hermione and Vere rendered even the idea of
any plain speaking about the revelation of Peppina quite insupportable
to the mother. She could only pretend to ignore that it had ever been
made. And this she did. But now that she knew of it she felt very
acutely the difference it had made in Vere. That difference was owing
to her own impulsive action. And Emile knew the whole truth. She
understood now what he had been going to say about Peppina and Vere
when they had talked about the books.
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