Her childhood had known nothing of fairyland, and now, in this tardy awakening of the imaginative part of her nature, she thought sometimes of Capri much as a child is wont to think of the enchanted countries, nameless, regionless, in books of fable.
What thoughts for Sunday! But Miriam was far on the way of those who recognize themselves as overmastered by temptation, and grow almost reckless in the sins they cannot resist.

So long it was since she had been able to attend the accustomed public worship, and now its substitute in the privacy of her room had become irksome.

She blushed to be practising hypocrisy; the Spences were careful to refrain from interfering with her to-day, and here, withdrawn from their sight, she passed the hours in wearisome idleness--in worse than that.
She could not look again at Cecily's letter.

More; she could not let her eyes turn to Raphael's picture.

But before the mirrors she paused often and long, losing herself in self regard.
Early on the morrow, she drove down with Spence to Santa Lucia, and went on board the Capri boat.