Hestersilencedhercuriosityfromthattime。Butherheartwasnotquiteatease，andshekeptonwonderingwhetherPhilipthoughthislittlecousinprettyuntilshesawherandhimtogether，onthatoccasionofwhichwehavespoken，whenSylviacametotheshoptobuyhernewcloak;andafterthatHesterneverwonderedwhetherPhilipthoughthiscousinprettyorno，forsheknewquitewell。BellRobsonhadherownanxietiesonthesubjectofherdaughter\'sincreasingattractions。Sheapprehendedthedangersconsequentuponcertainfacts，byamentalprocessmoreakintointuitionthanreason。Shewasuncomfortable，evenwhilehermotherlyvanitywasflattered，attheadmirationSylviareceivedfromtheothersex。Thisadmirationwasmadeevidenttohermotherinmanyways。WhenSylviawaswithheratmarket，itmighthavebeenthoughtthatthedoctorshadprescribedadietofbutterandeggstoallthemenunderfortyinMonkshaven。AtfirstitseemedtoMrsRobsonbutanaturaltributetothesuperiormeritofherfarmproduce;butbydegreessheperceivedthatifSylviaremainedathome，shestoodnobetterchancethanherneighboursofanearlysale。Thereweremorecustomersthanformerlyforthefleecesstoredinthewool—loft;
comelyyoungbutcherscameafterthecalfalmostbeforeithadbeendecidedtosellit;inshort，excuseswereseldomwantingtothosewhowishedtoseethebeautyofHaytersbankFarm。AllthismadeBelluncomfortable，thoughshecouldhardlyhavetoldwhatshedreaded。Sylviaherselfseemedunspoiltbyitasfarasherhomerelationswereconcerned。Alittlethoughtlessshehadalwaysbeen，andthoughtlessshewasstill;but，ashermotherhadoftensaid，\'Yo\'cannaputoldheadsonyoungshoulders;\'andifblamedforhercarelessnessbyherparents，Sylviawasalwaysaspenitentasshecouldbeforthetimebeing。Tobesure，itwasonlytoherfatherandmotherthatsheremainedthesameasshehadbeenwhenanawkwardlassieofthirteen。Outofthehousetherewerethemostcontradictoryopinionsofher，especiallyifthevoicesofwomenweretobelistenedto。Shewas\'anill—favoured，overgrownthing;\'\'justasbonnyasthefirstrosei\'
June，andassweeti\'hernatureast\'honeysucklea—climbingroundit;\'
shewas\'avixen，withatonguesharpenoughtomakeyerveryheartbleed;\'
shewas\'justabito\'sunshinewherivershewent;\'shewassulky，lively，witty，silent，affectionate，orcold—hearted，accordingtothepersonwhospokeabouther。Infact，herpeculiarityseemedtobethis——thateveryonewhoknewhertalkedabouthereitherinpraiseorblame;inchurch，orinmarket，sheunconsciouslyattractedattention;theycouldnotforgetherpresence，astheycouldthatofothergirlsperhapsmorepersonallyattractive。Nowallthiswasacauseofanxietytohermother，whobegantofeelasifshewouldratherhavehadherchildpassedbyinsilencethansomuchnoticed。Bell\'sopinionwas，thatitwascredit—abletoawomantogothroughlifeintheshadowofobscurity，——nevernamedexceptinconnexionwithgoodhousewifery，husband，orchildren。Toomuchtalkingaboutagirl，eveninthewayofpraise，disturbedMrsRobson\'sopinionofher;andwhenherneighbourstoldherhowherowndaughterwasadmired，shewouldreplycoldly，\'She\'sjustwellenough，\'andchangethesubjectofconversation。Butitwasquitedifferentwithherhusband。Tohislooser，less—restrainedmind，itwasagreeabletohearof，andstillmoretosee，theattentionwhichhisdaughter\'sbeautyreceived。Hefeltitasreflectingconsequenceonhimself。Hehadnevertroubledhismindwithspeculationsastowhetherhehimselfwaspopular，stilllesswhetherhewasrespected。