midday
The Targatt girl 's presence , and the risk of being interrupted by some passer-by suddenly smitten with a thirst for letters , restricted their intercourse to the exchange of commonplaces ; but there was a fascination to Charity in the contrast between these public civilities and their secret intimacy . The day after their drive to the brown house was `` library day , '' and she sat at her desk working at the revised catalogue , while the Targatt girl , one eye on the window , chanted out the titles of a pile of books . Charity 's thoughts were far away , in the dismal house by the swamp , and under the twilight sky during the long drive home , when Lucius Harney had consoled her with endearing words . That day , for the first time since he had been boarding with them , he had failed to appear as usual at the midday meal . No message had come to explain his absence , and Mr. Royall , who was more than usually taciturn , had betrayed no surprise , and made no comment . In itself this indifference was not particularly significant , for Mr. Royall , in common with most of his fellow-citizens , had a way of accepting events passively , as if he had long since come to the conclusion that no one who lived in North Dormer could hope to modify them . But to Charity , in the reaction from her mood of passionate exaltation , there was something disquieting in his silence .