)
"But it's more interesting. Do you think she'd better be a
married woman?" And Miss Liston looked at me inquiringly.
"The age prefers them married," I remarked.
This conversation happened on the second day of Miss Liston's
visit, and she lost no time in beginning to study her subjects.
Pamela, she said, she found pretty plain sailing, but Chillington
continued to puzzle her. Again, she could not make up her
mind whether to have a happy or a tragic ending. In the
interests of a tenderhearted public, I pleaded for marriage
bells.
"Yes, I think so," said Miss Liston, but she sighed, and I think
she had an idea or two for a heart-broken separation, followed by
mutual, lifelong, hopeless devotion.
The complexity of young Sir Gilbert did not, in Miss Liston's
opinion, appear less on further acquaintance; and indeed, I must
admit that she was not altogether wrong in considering him worthy
of attention. As I came to know him better, I discerned in him a
smothered self-appreciation, which came to light in response to
the least tribute of interest or admiration, but was yet far
remote from the aggressiveness of a commonplace vanity. In a
moment of indiscretion I had chaffed him--he was very good-
natured--on the risks he ran at Miss Liston's hands; he was not
disgusted, but neither did he plume himself or spread his
feathers. He received the suggestion without surprise, and
without any attempt at disclaiming fitness for the purpose; but
he received it as a matter which entailed a responsibility on
him.
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