She was well aware that Louis’ sins of omission and commission might violently shock people of a certain temperament—­people of her own temperament in particular.  These people, however, would fail to see the other side of Louis.  If she herself had merely heard of Louis, instead of knowing him, she would probably have set him down as undesirable.  But she knew him.  His good qualities seemed to her to overwhelm the others.  His charm, his elegance, his affectionateness, his nice speech, his courtesy, his quick wit, his worldliness—­she really considered it extraordinary that a plain, blunt girl, such as she, should have had the luck to please him.  It was indeed almost miraculous.

If he had faults—­and he had—­she preferred them (proudly and passionately) to the faults of scores of other women’s husbands.  He was not a brute, nor even a boor nor a savage—­thousands of savages ranged free and terror-striking in the Five Towns.  Even when vexed and furious he could control himself.  It was possible to share his daily life and see him in all his social moods without being humiliated.  He was not a clodhopper; watch him from the bow-window of a morning as he walked down the street!  He did not drink; he was not a beast.  He was not mean.  He might scatter money, but he was not mean.  In fact, except that one sinister streak in his nature, she could detect no fault.  There was danger in that streak....  Well, there was danger in every man.  She would accept it; she would watch it.  Had she not long since reconciled herself to the prospect of an everlasting vigil?

She did not care what any one said, and she did not care!  He was the man she wanted; the whole rest of the world was nothing in comparison to him.  He was irresistible.  She had wanted him, and she would always want him, as he was.  She had won him and she would keep him, as he was, whatever the future might hold.  The past was the past; the opening chapter of her marriage was definitely finished and its drama done.  She was ready for the future.  One tragedy alone could overthrow her—­Louis’ death.  She simply could not and would not conceive existence without him.  She would face anything but that....  Besides, he was not really untrustworthy—­only weak!  She faltered and recovered.  “He’s mine and I wouldn’t have him altered for the world.  I don’t want him perfect.  If anything goes wrong, well, let it go wrong!  I’m his wife.  I’m his!” And as, slightly raising her confident chin in the street, she thus undertook to pay the price of love, there was something divine about Rachel’s face.