"We all have our limitations, I suppose," said wise Lucy.

"Sometimes they are forced on us, though," said Cecil, who saw
from her remark that she did not quite understand his position.

"How?"

"It makes a difference doesn't it, whether we fully fence
ourselves in, or whether we are fenced out by the barriers of
others?"

She thought a moment, and agreed that it did make a difference.

"Difference?" cried Mrs. Honeychurch, suddenly alert. "I don't
see any difference. Fences are fences, especially when they are
in the same place."

"We were speaking of motives," said Cecil, on whom the
interruption jarred.

"My dear Cecil, look here." She spread out her knees and perched
her card-case on her lap. "This is me. That's Windy Corner. The
rest of the pattern is the other people. Motives are all very
well, but the fence comes here."

"We weren't talking of real fences," said Lucy, laughing.

"Oh, I see, dear--poetry."

She leant placidly back. Cecil wondered why Lucy had been amused.