Hetooknoaccountofhisbitter，secretjealousyofthisgirl，who，ashethought，hadestrangedhissonfromhim，andpreventedhimfromcarryingouthischerishedplansofmakingofhimaclergymanlikehimself，orofhisinnatephysicalhatredofwomenwhichcausedhimtodesirethatGodfreyshouldremaincelibate。Thesemotives，althoughhewaswellawareofthem，hesetdownasnaught，beingquitesure，inviewofthegoodnessofhisaims，thattheywouldbeoverlookedorevencommendedbythePoweraboveWhomhepicturedinhismind’seyeasafuriousoldman，animatedchieflybyjealousyandadesiretowreakvengeanceonandtorturethehelpless。ForitisthelessonsoftheOldTestamentthatsinkmostdeeplyintothesoulsofMr。Knightandhiskind。
SirJohn’sendswerequitedifferent。Hewastheveryvulgarestofself-mademen，coarseandbrutalbynature，asensualistofthetypethatisuntouchedbyimagination；amanwhowouldcrushanyonewhostoodinhispathwithoutcompunction，justbecausethatpersondidstandinhispath。Buthewasextremelyshrewd——witnessthewayhesawthroughMr。Knight——andinhisownfashionveryable——witnesshissuccessinlife。
Moreover，sinceamanofhistypehasgenerallysomeobjectbeyondthemereacquiringofmoney，particularlyafterithasbeenacquired，hehadhis，torisehigh，forhewasveryambitious。Hisnaturaldiscernmentsetallhisownfailingsbeforehimintheclearestlight；
alsotheirconsequences。Heknewthathewasvulgarandbrutal，andthatasaresultallpersonsofrealgentilitylookeddownuponhim，howevermuchtheymightseemtocringebeforehismoneyandpower，yes，thoughtheychancedtobebutlabouringmen。
Forinstance，hiswifehaddoneso，whichwasoneofthereasonswhyhehatedher，asindeedhadallherdistinguishedrelatives，aftertheycametoknowhim，althoughhelentthemmoney。Heknewthatevenifhebecameapeer，ashefullyexpectedtodo，itwouldbethesamestory；outwarddeferenceandlipservice，butinwarddislikeandcontempt。Inshort，therewerelimitswhichhecouldneverhopetopass，andthereforesofarashewasconcerned，hisambitiousthirstmustremainunslaked。
ButhehadadaughterwhomNature，perhapsbecauseofhermother’sblood，hadsetinquiteadifferentclass。Shehadhisability，butshewasgentle-born，whichhewasnot，onewhocouldmixwithandbewelcomedbythehighestintheworld，andthiswithouttheslightestquestion。Ifnotbeautiful，shewasverydistinguished；shehadpresenceandwhattheFrenchcall“theair。“Further，shewouldbeoneoftherichestwomeninEngland。Consideredfromhispointofview，therefore，itwasbutnaturalthatheshoulddesirehertomakeabrilliantmarriageandfoundagreatfamily，whichhewouldthushaveoriginated——atanyrate，tosomeextent。Nightanddayhelongedthatthisshouldcomeabout，anditwasthereasonwhytheyoungLordMounteroywasvisitingHawk’sHall。
MounteroyhadmetIsobelatadinner-partyinLondontheotherdayandadmiredher。Hehadtoldanoldlady——akindofsocietytout——whohadrepeatedittoSirJohn，thathewishedtogetmarried，andthatIsobelBlakewasthesortofgirlhewouldliketomarry。Hewasacleverman，alsoambitious，onewhohadhopesofsomedayrulingthecountry，buttodothisheneededbehindhimgreatandassuredfortuneinadditiontohisancientbutsomewhatimpoverishedrank。Inshort，shesuitedhisbook，andhesuitedthatofSirJohn。Now，thethingtodowastobringitaboutthatheshouldalsosuitIsobel’sbook。Andjustatthecriticalmomentthisaccursedaccidenthadhappened。Oh!
itwastoomuch。
NowonderthatSirJohnwasfilledwithrighteouswrathandasterndeterminationto“makethingshot“forthecauseofthe“accident“as，ledtotheattackbytheactivebutdrippingMr。Knightwhomhedesignatedinhisheartasthat“littlecurofaparson，“muchasanoverfedandbloatedbloodhoundmightbebysomeblackandviciousmongrel，hetrampedheavilytowardsthechurch。Indeedtheymadeaqueercontrast，thissmall，activebutfierce-facedmaninhissombre，shinygarmentsanddingywhitetie，andthehuge，ample-paunchedbaronetwithhisred，flatface，heavylipsandprojectingbutintelligenteyes，clothedinanewsuit，wearinganenormousblackpearlinhisnecktieandadiamondringonhisfinger；theveryidealofMammonineverydetailofhispersonandofhiscarefullyadvertisedopulence。
Isobel，whosehumourhaditssardonicside，andwhowasthefirsttocatchsightofthemwhentheyreachedthechurch，Mr。Knighttrippingahead，andSirJohnhotwiththeexerciseintheclose，moistair，lumberingafterhimwithhismouthopen，comparedtheminhermindtoafiercelittlepilotfishconductinganoverfedsharktosomehelplesspreywhichithaddiscoveredbattlingwiththewatersofcircumstance；thatafterall，wasonlyanotherversionofthemongrelandthebloodhound。Alsoshecomparedthemtootherthings，evenlesscomplimentary。
Yetnoneofthese，perhaps，wasreallyadequate，eithertotheevilintentionsortherepellentappearanceofthispairastheyadvancedupontheirwickedmissionofjealousyandhate。
Allunawarethattheyhadbeenseenandbynofriendlyeyes，GodfreyandIsobelremainedembracingeachotherforquitealongwhile。Atlengthshewrenchedherselfawayand，sinkingontoachancelbench，motionedtohimtoseathimselfbesideher。
“Letustalk，“shesaidinanewvoice，astrangevoicethatwaslowandrich，suchashehadneverheardheruse，“letustalk，mydear。“
“Whatof？“heaskedalmostinawhisperashetookhisplace，andherhand，whichheheldagainsthisbeatingheart。“Mysoulhasbeentalkingtoyoursforthelastfiveminutes，orisitfivesecondsorfiveyears？Itdoesnotseemtohaveanythingmoretosay。“
“YetIthinkthereisplentytobesaid，Godfrey。Doyouknowthatwhilewewerekissingeachothertheresomeveryqueerideasgotholdofme，notonlyofthesortwhichmightbeexpectedinourcase？YourememberthatPlantagenetladywholiesburiedbeneathwherewewerestanding，shewhosedressIoncecopiedtowearattheballwhenI
cameout。“
“Don’tspeakofthat，“heinterrupted，“forthenyouwerekissingsomeoneelse。“
“Itisnottrue。Ineverkissedanyoneelseinthatway，andIdonotthinkIevershall。Ikissedarose，that’sall，andIgatherthatyouhavedoneasmuchandverylikelyagreatdealmore。ButitisoftheladyIamspeaking，notoftheball。Sheseemedtocomeupfromhergraveandenterintome，andsaysomething。“
“Well，whatdidshesay，Isobel？“heaskeddreamily。
“That’sit，Idon’tknow，althoughshetalkedtomeasonemighttooneself。AllIknowisthatitwasoftroubleandpatienceandgreatjoy，andwarandtragedyinwhichImustbeintimatelyconcerned，and——afterthetragedy——ofamostinfiniterestandbliss。“
“Iexpectshewastellingyouherownstory，whichseemstohaveendedwell，“herepliedinthesamedreamyfashion。
“Yes，Ithinkso，butalsothatshemeantthatherstorywouldbemystory，copiedyouknow，asIcopiedherdress。Ofcourseitisallnonsense，justtheinfluenceoftheplacetakingholdofmewhenovercomebyotherthings，butatthetimeitseemedveryreal。“
“Sodoesabaddream，“saidGodfrey，“butforallthatitisn’treal。
Stillitisoddthateverythingimportantseemstohappentouswithinafewfeetofthatlady’sdust，andIcan’tquitedisbelieveinspiritsandtheirpowerofimpressingthemselvesuponus；IwishI
could。Thestrangethingisthat/you/shouldputanyfaithinthem。“
“Idon’t，thoughIadmitthatmyviewsaboutsuchmattersarechanging。YouknowIusedtobesurethatwhenwedieeverythingisoverwithus。NowIthinkdifferently，whyIcannotsay。“
Thenthesubjectdropped，becausereallytheywerebothwrappedinthegreatjoyofaglorioushouranddisinclinedtodwelluponfanciesaboutawomanwhohaddiedfivehundredyearsago，oronmetaphysicalspeculations。Alsothefearofwhatmightfollowuponthathourhauntedthemmorevividlythananyhoveringghost，ifsuchtherewere。
“Mydear，“saidIsobel，“Iamsorry，butImustsayit；Iamsurethattherewillbetroubleaboutthisbusiness。“
“Nodoubt，Isobel；therealwaysistrouble，atleastwhereIamconcerned；alsoonecan’tbehappywithoutpaying。Butwhatdoesitmattersolongaswesticktoeachother？Soonweshallbothbeofageandcandowhatwelike。“
“Onealwaysthinksthat，Godfrey，andyet，somehow，onenevercan。
Freewillisafraudinthatsenseasineveryother。“
“Ihavesomething，asyouknow，enoughwithmypaytoenableustogeton，evenifyouweredisinherited，dear，though，ofcourse，youcouldnotliveasyouhavebeenaccustomedtodo。“
“Oh!don’ttalktomeofmoney，“shesaidimpatiently，“thoughforthematterofthat，Ihavesomething，too，alittlethatcomestomefrommymother。Moneywon’tdivideus，Godfrey。“
“Thenwhatwill，Isobel？“
“Nothinginthelongrun，“sheansweredwithconviction，“notevendeathitself，sinceinawayweareoneandpartofeachotherandthereforecannotbeseparatedforalways，whateverhappensforawhile，asIamsurethatsomethingwillhappenwhichwillmakeyouleaveme。“
“IswearthatIwillneverleaveyou，Iwilldiewithyoufirst，“heexclaimed，springingup。
“Suchoathshavebeenmadeoftenandbroken——beforethedawn，“sheanswered，smilingandshakingherhead。
“IswearthatIwillalwaysloveyou，“hewenton。
“Ah!nowIbelieveyou，dear!“shebrokeinagain。“Howeverbadlyyoumaybehave，youwillalwayslovemebecauseyoumust。“
“Well，andwillyoualwayslovemehoweverbadlyIbehave？“