No; it would have been an insult to imagine her with the moral sensibilities of a child of twelve.
Was she intellectual at the expense of her emotional being?
Was she guarded by nature against these disturbances?
Somewhat ridiculous to ask that, and then look up at her face effulgent with the joy of life.
She who could not speak without the note of emotion, who so often gave way to lyrical outbursts of delight, who was so warm-hearted in her friendship, whose every movement was in glad harmony with the loveliness of her form,--must surely have the corresponding capabilities of passion.
After all--and it was fetching a great compass to reach a point so near at hand--might she not take him at his own profession?
Might she not view him as a man indeed, and one not yet past his youth, but still as a man who suffered no trivialities to interfere with the grave objects of his genius?
She had so long had him represented to her in that way--from the very first of their meetings, indeed.

Grant her mature sense and a reflective mind, was that any reason why she should probe subtly the natural appearance of her friend, and attribute to him that which he gave no sign of harbouring?
Why must she be mysteriously conscious of his inner being, rather than take him ingenuously for what he seemed?
She had instruction and wit, but she was only a girl; her experience was as good as nil.

Mallard repeated that to himself as he looked at Mrs.Baske.To a great extent Cecily did, in fact, inhabit an ideal world.

She was ready to accept the noble as the natural.
Untroubled herself, she could contemplate without scepticism the image of an artist finding his bliss in solitary toil.

This was the ground of the respect she had for him; disturb this idea, and he became to her quite another man--one less interesting, and, it might be, less lovable in either sense of the word.
Spence maintained a conversation with Miriam, chiefly referring to the characteristics of the scene about them; he ignored her peculiarities, and talked as though everything must necessarily give her pleasure.