FortwoyearsMissWinchelseacouldnotgotoseeherfriends，inspiteofthereiteratedinvitationsofMrs。Sevenoaks——itbecamefullSevenoaksinthesecondyear。ThenonedayneartheEasterrestshefeltlonelyandwithoutasoultounderstandherintheworld，andhermindranoncemoreonwhatiscalledPlatonicfriendship。Fannywasclearlyhappyandbusyinhernewsphereofdomesticity，butnodoubtHEhadhislonelyhours。DidheeverthinkofthosedaysinRome——gonenowbeyondrecalling？Noonehadunderstoodherashehaddone；nooneinalltheworld。Itwouldbeasortofmelancholypleasuretotalktohimagain，andwhatharmcoulditdo？Whyshouldshedenyherself？Thatnightshewroteasonnet，allbutthelasttwolinesoftheoctave——whichwouldnotcome，andthenextdayshecomposedagracefullittlenotetotellFannyshewascomingdown。
Andsoshesawhimagain。
Evenatthefirstencounteritwasevidenthehadchanged；heseemedstouterandlessnervous，anditspeedilyappearedthathisconversationhadalreadylostmuchofitsolddelicacy。ThereevenseemedajustificationforHelen’sdescriptionofweaknessinhisface——incertainlightsitWASweak。Heseemedbusyandpreoccupiedabouthisaffairs，andalmostundertheimpressionthatMissWinchelseahadcomeforthesakeofFanny。HediscussedhisdinnerwithFannyinanintelligentway。Theyonlyhadonegoodlongtalktogether，andthatcametonothing。HedidnotrefertoRome，andspentsometimeabusingamanwhohadstolenanideahehadhadforatext-book。
ItdidnotseemaverywonderfulideatoMissWinchelsea。ShediscoveredhehadforgottenthenamesofmorethanhalfthepainterswhoseworktheyhadrejoicedoverinFlorence。
Itwasasadlydisappointingweek，andMissWinchelseawasgladwhenitcametoanend。Undervariousexcusessheavoidedvisitingthemagain。Afteratimethevisitor’sroomwasoccupiedbytheirtwolittleboys，andFanny’sinvitationsceased。Theintimacyofherlettershadlongsincefadedaway。