eedn't like me."

"Do you want him to like you?"

"Yes, I do. Oh yes; you may laugh; but if I did not think that I
could be a good wife to him I would not take his hand even to become
Duchess of Omnium."

"Do you mean that you love him, Mabel?"

"No; I do not mean that. But I would learn to love him. You do not
believe that?" Here he smiled again and shook his head. "It is as I
said before, because you are not a woman, and do not understand how
women are trammelled. Do you think ill of me because I say this?"

"No, indeed."

"Do not think ill of me if you can help it, because you are almost
the only friend that I can trust. I almost trust dear old Cass, but
not quite. She is old-fashioned and I shock her. As for other women,
there isn't one anywhere to whom I would say a word. Only think how
a girl such as I am is placed; or indeed any girl. You, if you see
a woman that you fancy, can pursue her, can win her and triumph, or
lose her and gnaw your heart;--at any rate you can do something. You
can tell her that you love her; can tell her so again and again even
though she should scorn you. You can set yourself about the business
you have taken in hand and can work hard at it. What can a girl do?"

"Girls work hard too sometimes."

"Of course they do;--but everybody feels that they are sinning
against their sex. Of love, such as a man's is, a woman ought to know
nothing. How can she love with passion when she should never give her
love till it has been asked, and not then unless her friends tell her
that the thing is suitable? Love such as that to me is out of the
question. But, as it is fit that I should be married, I wish to be
married well."

"And you will love him after a fashion?"

"Yes;--after a very sterling fashion. I will make his wishes my
wishes, his ways my ways, his party my party, his home my home,
his ambition my ambition,--his honour my honour." As she said this
she stood up with her hands clenched and head erect, and her eyes
flashing. "Do you not know me well enough to be sure that I should be
loyal to him?"

"Yes;--I think that you would be loyal."

"Whether I loved him or not, he should love me."

"And you think that Silverbridge would do?"

"Yes, I think that Silverbridge would do. You, no doubt, will say
that I am flying high?"

"Not too high. Why should you not fly high? If I can justify myself,
surely I cannot accuse you."

"It is hardly the same thing, Frank. Of course, there