good to marry (had not her
mother and her grandmother instilled into her the doctrine that an early
marriage was the single masculine safeguard, since, once married, a
man's morality became not his own business, but his wife's), and marry
him she was resolved to do, either with his cheerful co-operation, or,
if necessary, without it. He had certainly looked at Virginia as if he
admired her, and surely a girl like that--lovely, loving, unselfish to a
fault, and trained from her infancy to excel in all the feminine
virtues--surely, this perfect flower of sex specialization could have
been designed by Providence only for the delight and the sanctification
of man.

"Then, if that is the way your mind is made up I hope you will be
careful not to trifle with the feelings of a girl like Jinny Pendleton,"
she retorted severely.

By a single stroke of genius, inspired by the diplomacy inherent in a
sex whose chief concern has been the making of matches, she transfixed
his imagination as skilfully as she might have impaled a butterfly on a
bodkin. While he stared at her she could almost see the iridescent wings
of his fancy whirling madly around the idea by which she had arrested
their flight. Trifle with Virginia! Trifle with that radiant vision of
girlhood! All the chivalry of youth revolted from the suggestion, and he
thought again of the wistful adoration in the eyes of a Perugino virgin.
Was it possible that she could ever look at him with that angelic
expression of weakness and surrender? The fire of first love, which had
smouldered under the weight of his reason, burst suddenly into flame.
His thoughts, which had been as clear as a geometrical figure, became
suddenly blurred by the mystery upon which passion lives. He was seized
by a consuming wonder about Virginia, and this wonder was heightened
when he remembered the appealing sweetness in her face as she smiled up
at him. Did she already love him? Had he conquered by a look the
exquisite modesty of her soul? With this thought the memory of her
virginal shyness stung his senses as if it were the challenge of sex.
Chivalry, love, vanity, curiosity--all these circled helplessly around
the invisible axis of Miss Priscilla's idea.

"What do you mean? Surely you don't suppose--she hasn't said
anything----"

"You don't imagine that Jinny is the kind of girl who would say
anything, do you?" inquired Miss Priscilla.

"But there must be some reason why you should have----"