WhenshewasaloneshesatdowninherhabitanddeclaredtoherselfthatshecertainlywouldneverbecomethewifeofMrCrosbie。Idonotknowwhysheshouldmakesuchadeclaration。ShehadpromisedhermotherandJohnEamesthatshewouldnotdoso，andthatpromisewouldcertainlyhaveboundherwithoutanyfurtherresolutionsonherpart。
But，totellthetruth，thevisionofthemanhaddisenchantedher。Whenlastshehadseenhimhehadbeenasitwereagodtoher；andthough，sincethatday，hisconducttoherhadbeenasungodlikeasitwellmightbe，stillthememoryoftheoutwardsignsofhisdivinityhadremainedwithher。Itisdifficulttoexplainhowithadcometopassthattheglimpsewhichshehadhadofhimshouldhavealteredsomuchwithinhermind；——whysheshouldsosuddenlyhavecometoregardhiminanalteredlight。Itwasnotsimplythathelookedtobeolder，andbecausehisfacewascareworn。ItwasnotonlythathehadlostthatlookofanApollowhichLilyhadonceinhermirthattributedtohim。I
thinkitwaschieflythatsheherselfwasolder，andcouldnolongerseeagodinsuchaman。ShehadneverregardedJohnEamesasbeinggiftedwithdivinity，andhadthereforealwaysbeenmakingcomparisonstohisdiscredit。Anysuchcomparisonnowwouldtendquitetheotherway。
Neverthelessshewouldadheretothetwolettersinherbook。SinceshehadseenMrCrosbieshewasaltogetheroutoflovewiththeprospectofmatrimony。
ShewasintheroomwhenMrPrattwasannounced，andsheatoncerecognisedhimasthemanwhohadbeenwithCrosbie。Andwhen，someminutesafterwards，SiphDunncameintotheroom，shecouldseethatintheirgreetingallusionwasmadetothesceneinthePark。Butstillitwasprobablethatthismanwouldnotrecogniseher，and，ifhedidso，whatwoulditmatter？Thereweretwentypeopletositdowntodinner，andthechanceswerethatshewouldnotbecalledupontoexchangeawordwithMrPratt。Shehadnowrecoveredherself，andcouldspeakfreelytoherfriendSiph，andwhenSiphcameandstoodnearhershethankedhimgraciouslyforhisescortinthePark。’Ifitwasn’tforyou，MrDunn，IreallythinkIshouldnotgetanyridingatall。BernardandMissDunstablehaveonlyonethingtothinkabout，andcertainlyI