to suffice for bonds, promises
or asseverations: on my honour! not merely is there, my poor child! no ground of
suspicion, I assure you, I declare to you, the fact of the case is the very
reverse. Now, mark me; of her sentiments I cannot pretend to speak; I did not,
to my knowledge, originate, I am not responsible for them, and I am, before the
law, as we will say, ignorant of them: that is, I have never heard a declaration
of them, and I am, therefore, under pain of the stigma of excessive fatuity,
bound to be noncognizant. But as to myself, I can speak for myself, and, on my
honour! Clara - to be as direct as possible, even to baldness, and you know I
loathe it - I could not, I repeat, I could not marry Lætitia Dale! Let me
impress it on you. No flatteries - we are all susceptible more or less - no
conceivable condition could bring it about; no amount of admiration. She and I
are excellent friends; we cannot be more. When you see us together, the natural
concord of our minds is of course misleading. She is a woman of genius. I do not
conceal, I profess my admiration of her. There are times when, I confess, I
require a Lætitia Dale to bring me out, give and take. I am indebted to her for
the enjoyment of the duet few know, few can accord with, fewer still are allowed
the privilege of playing with a human being. I am indebted, I own, and I feel
deep gratitude; I own to a lively friendship for Miss Dale, but if she is
displeasing in the sight of my bride by ... by the breadth of an eyelash, then
...«
    Sir Willoughby's arm waved Miss Dale off away into outer darkness in the
wilderness.
    Clara shut her eyes and rolled her eyeballs in a frenzy of unuttered revolt.
    But she was not engaged in the colloquy to be an advocate of Miss Dale or of
common humanity.
    »Ah!« she said, simply determining that the subject should not drop.
    »And, ah!« he mocked her tenderly. »True, though! And who knows better than
my Clara that I require youth, health, beauty, and the other undefinable
attributes fitting with mine and beseeming the station of the lady called to
preside over my household and represent me? What says my other self? my fairer?
But you are! my love