the contrary, religiously dutiful, and have warm domestic affections.
    »My dear Gwendolen,« he said, rising also, and speaking with benignant
gravity, »I trust that you will find in marriage a new fountain of duty and
affection. Marriage is the only true and satisfactory sphere of a woman, and if
your marriage with Mr. Grandcourt should be happily decided upon, you will have
probably an increasing power, both of rank and wealth, which may be used for the
benefit of others. These considerations are something higher than romance. You
are fitted by natural gifts for a position which, considering your birth and
early prospects, could hardly be looked forward to as in the ordinary course of
things; and I trust that you will grace it not only by those personal gifts, but
by a good and consistent life.«
    »I hope mamma will be the happier,« said Gwendolen, in a more cheerful way,
lifting her hands backward to her neck and moving towards the door. She wanted
to waive those higher considerations.
    Mr. Gascoigne felt that he had come to a satisfactory understanding with his
niece, and had furthered her happy settlement in life by furthering her
engagement to Grandcourt. Meanwhile there was another person to whom the
contemplation of that issue had been a motive for some activity, and who
believed that he too on this particular day had done something towards bringing
about a favourable decision in his sense - which happened to be the reverse of
the Rector's.
    Mr. Lush's absence from Diplow during Gwendolen's visit had been due not to
any fear on his part of meeting that supercilious young lady, or of being
abashed by her frank dislike, but to an engagement from which he expected
important consequences. He was gone in fact to the Wanchester Station to meet a
lady accompanied by a maid and two children, whom he put into a fly, and
afterwards followed to the hotel of the Golden Keys in that town. An impressive
woman, whom many would turn to look at again in passing; her figure was slim and
sufficiently tall, her face rather emaciated, so that its sculpturesque beauty
was the more pronounced, her crisp hair perfectly black, and her large anxious
eyes also what we call black. Her dress was soberly correct, her age perhaps
physically more advanced than the number of years would imply, but hardly less
than seven-and-thirty. An uneasy-looking woman: her glance seemed to presuppose
that people and things were going to be unfavourable to her, while she was
nevertheless ready to meet them with resolution. The children