e-smoke. Emilia's voice, her growing beauty, her
simplicity, her peculiar charms of feature, were all conjured up to
combat the dismal images suggested by that fatal, dragging-down smell.
It was vain. Horrible pipe-smoke pervaded the memory of her. It seemed
to his offended dainty fancy that he could never dissociate her from
smoking-booths and abominably bad tobacco; and, let us add (for this
was part of the secret), that it never could dwell on her without
the companionship of a hideous disfigured countenance, claiming to be
Wilfrid Pole. He shuddered to think that he had virtually almost
engaged himself to this girl. Or, had he? Was his honour bound? Distance
appeared to answer the question favourably. There was safety in being
distant from her. She possessed an incomprehensible attractiveness. She
was at once powerful and pitiable: so that while he feared her, and was
running from her spell, he said, from time to time, "Poor little thing!"
and deeply hoped she would not be unhappy.

A showman once (a novice in his art, or ambitious beyond the mark),
after a successful exhibition of his dolls, handed them to the company,
with the observation, "satisfy yourselves, ladies and gentlemen." The
latter, having satisfied themselves that the capacity of the lower limbs
was extraordinary, returned them, disenchanted. That showman did ill.
But I am not imitating him. I do not wait till after the performance,
when it is too late to revive illusion. To avoid having to drop the
curtain, I choose to explain an act on which the story hinges, while it
is advancing: which is, in truth, an impulse of character. Instead
of his being more of a puppet, this hero is less wooden than he was.
Certainly I am much more in awe of him.

CHAPTER XIV

Mr. Pole was one of those men whose characters are read off at a glance.
He was neat, insignificant, and nervously cheerful; with the eyes of a
bird, that let you into no interior. His friends knew him thoroughly.
His daughters were never in doubt about him. At the period of the
purchase of Brookfield he had been excitable and feverish, but that was
ascribed to the projected change in his habits, and the stern necessity
for an occasional family intercommunication on the subject of money.
He had a remarkable shyness of this theme, and reversed its general
treatment; for he would pay, but would not talk of it. If it had to be
discussed with the ladies, he puffed, and blinked, and looked so muc