And Lord Fawn's title was his own, and Lady Fawn's
rank her own. She coveted no man's possessions, and no woman's; but she
was minded to hold by her own. Of present advantages or disadvantages--
whether she had the one or suffered from the other--she thought not at
all. It was her fault that she had nothing of feminine vanity. But no man
or woman was ever more anxious to be effective, to persuade, to obtain
belief, sympathy, and co-operation--not for any result personal to
herself, but because by obtaining these things she could be effective in
the object then before her, be what it might.
One other thing may be told of her. She had given her heart, for good and
all, as she owned to herself, to Frank Greystock. She had owned to herself
that it was so, and had owned to herself that nothing could come of it.
Frank was becoming a man of mark, but was becoming a man of mark without
much money. Of all men he was the last who could afford to marry a
governess. And then, moreover, he had never said a word to make her think
that he loved her. He had called on her once or twice at Fawn Court, as
why should he not? Seeing that there had been friendship between the
families for so many years, who could complain of that? Lady Fawn,
however, had not complained; but just said a word.
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