ging
her, of course, by her title of woman. A woman's innocence has a rainbow
skin. Set this one beside other women, she comes out well, fairly well,
well enough.

Now that the engagement with Charlotte assumed proportions of a
series of battle, properly to be entitled a campaign, he had, in his
loneliness, fallen into the habit of reflecting at the close of his
day's work; and the rubbing of that unused opaque mirror hanging
inside a man of action had helped him piecemeal to perceive bits of
his conduct, entirely approved by him, which were intimately connected,
nevertheless, with a train of circumstances that he disliked and could
not charge justly upon any other shoulders than his own. What was to
be thought of it? He would not be undergoing this botheration of the
prolonged attempt to bring a stubborn woman to a sense of her duty, if
he had declared his marriage in the ordinary style, and given his young
countess her legitimate place before the world. What impeded it? The
shameful ingratitude of his countrymen to the soldier who did it eminent
service at a crisis of the destinies of our Indian Empire! He could not
condone the injury done to him by entering among them again. Too like
the kicked cur, that! He retired--call it 'sulked in his tent,' if
you like. His wife had to share his fortunes. He being slighted, she
necessarily was shadowed. For a while she bore it contentedly enough;
then began her mousy scratches to get into the room off the wainscot,
without blame from him; she behaved according to her female nature.

Yes, but the battles with Charlotte forced on his recognition once
more, and violently, the singular consequences of his retirement and
Coriolanus quarrel with his countrymen. He had doomed himself ever since
to a contest with women. First it was his Queen of Amazons, who, if
vanquished, was not so easily vanquished, and, in fact, doubtfully,--for
now, to propitiate her, he had challenged, and must overcome or be
disgraced, the toughest Amazonian warrior man could stand against at
cast of dart or lock of arms. No day scored an advantage; and she did
not apparently suffer fatigue. He did: that is to say, he was worried
and hurried to have the wrangle settled and Charlotte at Aminta's feet.
He gained not an inch of ground. His principle in a contention of the
sort was to leave the woman to the practice of her obvious artifices,
and himself simply hammer, incessantly hammer. But Charlotte hammered
as