CHAPTERXVIII
THERIVALS
TheintimacybetweenFrankandMissDunstablegrewandprospered。Thatistosay，itprosperedasanintimacy，thoughperhapshardlyasaloveaffair。Therewasacontinuedsuccessionofjokesbetweenthem，whichnooneelseinthecastleunderstood；buttheveryfactoftherebeingsuchagoodunderstandingbetweenthemratherstoodinthewayof，thanassisted，thatconsummationwhichthecountessdesired。People，whentheyareinlovewitheachother，orevenwhentheypretendtobe，donotgenerallyshowitbyloudlaughter。Norisitfrequentlythecasethatawifewithtwohundredthousandpoundscanbewonwithoutsomelittlepreliminarydespair。
LadydeCourcy，whothoroughlyunderstoodthatportionoftheworldinwhichsheherselflived，sawthatthingswerenotgoingquiteastheyshoulddo，andgavemuchandrepeatedadvicetoFrankonthesubject。
Shewasthemoreeagerindoingthis，becausesheimaginedFrankhaddonewhathecouldtoobeyherfirstprecepts。HehadnotturneduphisnoseatMissDunstable\'scurls，norfoundfaultwithherloudvoice：hehadnotobjectedtoherasugly，norevenshownanydisliketoherage。Ayoungmanwhohadbeensoamenabletoreasonwasworthyoffurtherassistance；andsoLadydeCourcydidwhatshecouldtoassisthim。