the parents blessed with
such a son! thrice fortunate the wife blessed with such a husband!

It was therefore with no ordinary emotion that Katherine Grandison heard
that this perfect cousin Ferdinand had at length arrived. She had seen
little of him even in his boyish days, and even then he was rather a
hero in their Lilliputian circle.

Ferdinand Armine was always looked up to at Grandison, and always spoken
of by her grandfather as a very fine fellow indeed; a wonderfully
fine fellow, his favourite grandson, Ferdinand Armine: and now he had
arrived. His knock was heard at the door, his step was on the stairs,
the door opened, and certainly his first appearance did not disappoint
his cousin Kate. So handsome, so easy, so gentle, and so cordial; they
were all the best friends in a moment. Then he embraced his father with
such fervour, and kissed his mother with such fondness: it was evident
that he had an excellent heart. His arrival indeed, was a revolution.
Their mourning days seemed at once to disappear; and although they of
course entered society very little, and never frequented any public
amusement, it seemed to Katherine that all of a sudden she lived in a
round of delightful gaiety. Ferdinand was so amusing and so
accomplished! He sang with her, he played with her; he was always
projecting long summer rides and long summer walks. Then his
conversation was so different from everything to which she had ever
listened. He had seen so many things and so many persons; everything
that was strange, and everybody that was famous. His opinions were so
original, his illustrations so apt and lively, his anecdotes so
inexhaustible and sparkling! Poor inexperienced, innocent Katherine! Her
cousin in four-and-twenty hours found it quite impossible to fall in
love with her; and so he determined to make her fall in love with him.
He quite succeeded. She adored him. She did not believe that there was
anyone in the world so handsome, so good, and so clever. No one, indeed,
who knew Ferdinand Armine could deny that he was a rare being; but, had
there been any acute and unprejudiced observers who had known him in his
younger and happier hours, they would perhaps have remarked some
difference in his character and conduct, and not a favourable one. He
was indeed more brilliant, but not quite so interesting as in old days;
far more dazzling, but not quite so apt to charm. No one could deny his
lively talents and his perfect breeding,