Mr. Lovel had been invited to several dinner-parties at the Castle during
his daughter's visit, but was not to be drawn from his seclusion. He had no
objection, however, that Clarissa should stay as long as Lady Laura cared
to retain her, and wrote very cordially to that effect.
What a pleasant, idle, purposeless life it was, and how rapidly it drifted
by for Clarissa! She wondered to find herself so happy; wondered what the
charm was which made life so new and sweet, which made her open her eyes on
the morning sunshine with such a glad eagerness to greet the beginning
of another day, and filled up every hour with such a perfect sense of
contentment.
She wondered at this happiness only in a vague dreamy way, not taking much
trouble to analyse her feelings. It was scarcely strange that she should be
completely happy in a life so different from her dull existence at home.
The freshness and beauty of all these pleasant things would be worn off in
time, no doubt, and she would become just like those other young women,
with their experience of many seasons, and their perpetual complaint of
being bored; but just now, while the freshness lasted, everything delighted
her.
Clarissa had been more than six weeks at the Castle, while other visitors
had come and gone, and the round of country-house gaieties had been
unbroken. The Fermors still lingered on, and languidly deprecated the
length of their visit, without any hint of actual departure.
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