Laetitia’s hearing took in no more.  She repeated to herself for days:  “His image of the constant woman!” Now, when he was a second time forsaking her, his praise of her constancy wore the painful ludicrousness of the look of a whimper on the face.

CHAPTER V

CLARA MIDDLETON

The great meeting of Sir Willoughby Patterne and Miss Middleton had taken place at Cherriton Grange, the seat of a county grandee, where this young lady of eighteen was first seen rising above the horizon.  She had money and health and beauty, the triune of perfect starriness, which makes all men astronomers.  He looked on her, expecting her to look at him.  But as soon as he looked he found that he must be in motion to win a look in return.  He was one of a pack; many were ahead of him, the whole of them were eager.  He had to debate within himself how best to communicate to her that he was Willoughby Patterne, before her gloves were too much soiled to flatter his niceness, for here and there, all around, she was yielding her hand to partners—­obscurant males whose touch leaves a stain.  Far too generally gracious was Her Starriness to please him.  The effect of it, nevertheless, was to hurry him with all his might into the heat of the chase, while yet he knew no more of her than that he was competing for a prize, and Willoughby Patterne was only one of dozens to the young lady.

A deeper student of Science than his rivals, he appreciated Nature’s compliment in the fair ones choice of you.  We now scientifically know that in this department of the universal struggle, success is awarded to the bettermost.  You spread a handsomer tail than your fellows, you dress a finer top-knot, you pipe a newer note, have a longer stride; she reviews you in competition, and selects you.  The superlative is magnetic to her.  She may be looking elsewhere, and you will see—­the superlative will simply have to beckon, away she glides.  She cannot help herself; it is her nature, and her nature is the guarantee for the noblest races of men to come of her.  In complimenting you, she is a promise of superior offspring.  Science thus—­or it is better to say—­an acquaintance with science facilitates the cultivation of aristocracy.  Consequently a successful pursuit and a wresting of her from a body of competitors, tells you that you are the best man.  What is more, it tells the world so.

Willoughby aired his amiable superlatives in the eye of Miss Middleton; he had a leg.  He was the heir of successful competitors.  He had a style, a tone, an artist tailor, an authority of manner; he had in the hopeful ardour of the chase among a multitude a freshness that gave him advantage; and together with his undeviating energy when there was a prize to be won and possessed, these were scarce resistible.  He spared no pains, for he was adust and athirst for the winning-post.  He courted her father, aware