 give
occasion for the least impeachment of his integrity. He is an honourable,
obstinate, truthful, high-spirited, intensely prejudiced, perfectly unreasonable
man.
    Sir Leicester is twenty years, full measure, older than my Lady. He will
never see sixty-five again, nor perhaps sixty-six, nor yet sixty-seven. He has a
twist of the gout now and then, and walks a little stiffly. He is of a worthy
presence, with his light grey hair and whiskers, his fine shirt-frill, his pure
white waistcoat, and his blue coat with bright buttons always buttoned. He is
ceremonious, stately, most polite on every occasion to my Lady, and holds her
personal attractions in the highest estimation. His gallantry to my Lady, which
has never changed since he courted her, is the one little touch of romantic
fancy in him.
    Indeed, he married her for love. A whisper still goes about, that she had
not even family; howbeit, Sir Leicester had so much family that perhaps he had
enough, and could dispense with any more. But she had beauty, pride, ambition,
insolent resolve, and sense enough to portion out a legion of fine ladies.
Wealth and station, added to these, soon floated her upward; and for years, now,
my Lady Dedlock has been at the centre of the fashionable intelligence, and at
the top of the fashionable tree.
    How Alexander wept when he had no more worlds to conquer, everybody knows -
or has some reason to know by this time, the matter having been rather
frequently mentioned. My Lady Dedlock, having conquered her world, fell, not
into the melting, but rather into the freezing mood. An exhausted composure, a
worn-out placidity, an equanimity of fatigue not to be ruffled by interest or
satisfaction, are the trophies of her victory. She is perfectly well-bred. If
she could be translated to Heaven to-morrow, she might be expected to ascend
without any rapture.
    She has beauty still, and, if it be not in its heyday, it is not yet in its
autumn. She has a fine face - originally of a character that would be rather
called very pretty than handsome, but improved into classicality by the acquired
expression of her fashionable state. Her figure is elegant, and has the effect
of being tall. Not that she is so, but that the most is made, as the Honourable
Bob Stables has frequently asserted upon oath, of all her points. The same
authority observes, that she is perfectly got up;
