husband. He has the sort of handsome physique
that the Duke ought to have in Lucrezia Borgia - if it could go with a fine
baritone, which it can't.«
    Deronda devoutly hoped that Hans's account of the impression his dialogue
with Gwendolen had made on a distant beholder was no more than a bit of
fantastic representation, such as was common with him.
    And Gwendolen was not without her after-thoughts that her husband's eyes
might have been on her, extracting something to reprove - some offence against
her dignity as his wife; her consciousness telling her that she had not kept up
the perfect air of equability in public which was her own ideal. But Grandcourt
made no observation on her behaviour. All he said as they were driving home was
-
    »Lush will dine with us among the other people to-morrow. You will treat him
civilly.«
    Gwendolen's heart began to beat violently. The words that she wanted to
utter, as one wants to return a blow, were, »You are breaking your promise to me
- the first promise you made me.« But she dared not utter them. She was as
frightened at a quarrel as if she had foreseen that it would end with throttling
fingers on her neck. After a pause, she said in the tone rather of defeat than
resentment -
    »I thought you did not intend him to frequent the house again.«
    »I want him just now. He is useful to me; and he must be treated civilly.«
    Silence. There may come a moment when even an excellent husband who has
dropt smoking under more or less of a pledge during courtship, for the first
time will introduce his cigar-smoke between himself and his wife, with the tacit
understanding that she will have to put up with it. Mr. Lush was, so to speak, a
very large cigar.
    If these are the sort of lovers' vows at which Jove laughs, he must have a
merry time of it.
 

                                  Chapter XLVI

            »If any one should importune me to give a reason why I loved him, I
            feel it could no otherwise be expressed than by making answer,
            Because it was he; because it was I. There is, beyond what I am able
            to say, I know not what inexplicable and inevitable power that
            brought on this union.«
                                                        Montaigne: On Friendship
 
The time had come to prepare Mordecai for the revelation of the restored sister
and for the change of abode which was desirable before Mirah's meeting with her
brother. Mrs. Meyrick, to whom Deronda had