,« she added, rather impatiently - »besides, Mr. Casaubon cannot bear to
hear of a secretary.«
    »My mistake is excusable,« said Will. »In old days I used to hear Mr.
Casaubon speak as if he looked forward to having a secretary. Indeed he held out
the prospect of that office to me. But I turned out to be - not good enough for
it.«
    Dorothea was trying to extract out of this an excuse for her husband's
evident repulsion, as she said, with a playful smile, »You were not a steady
worker enough.«
    »No,« said Will, shaking his head backward somewhat after the manner of a
spirited horse. And then, the old irritable demon prompting him to give another
good pinch at the moth-wings of poor Mr. Casaubon's glory, he went on, »And I
have seen since that Mr. Casaubon does not like any one to overlook his work and
know thoroughly what he is doing. He is too doubtful - too uncertain of himself.
I may not be good for much, but he dislikes me because I disagree with him.«
    Will was not without his intentions to be always generous, but our tongues
are little triggers which have usually been pulled before general intentions can
be brought to bear. And it was too intolerable that Casaubon's dislike of him
should not be fairly accounted for to Dorothea. Yet when he had spoken he was
rather uneasy as to the effect on her.
    But Dorothea was strangely quiet - not immediately indignant, as she had
been on a like occasion in Rome. And the cause lay deep. She was no longer
struggling against the perception of facts, but adjusting herself to their
clearest perception; and now when she looked steadily at her husband's failure,
still more at his possible consciousness of failure, she seemed to be looking
along the one track where duty became tenderness. Will's want of reticence might
have been met with more severity, if he had not already been recommended to her
mercy by her husband's dislike, which must seem hard to her till she saw better
reason for it.
    She did not answer at once, but after looking down ruminatingly she said,
with some earnestness, »Mr. Casaubon must have overcome his dislike of you so
far as his actions were concerned: and that is admirable.«
    »Yes; he has shown a sense of justice in family matters. It was an
abominable thing that my grandmother should have been disinherited because she
made what they called a mésalliance,
