After pausing a moment, he continued with an outburst of vehemence—­a characteristic of Wilfrid’s speech.

’You illustrate a thought I have often had about women.  The majority of you, at all events as you get into the world, have no kind of faith in anything but sordid motives.  You are cynical beyond anything men can pretend to; you scoff at every suggestion of idealism.  I suppose it is that which makes us feel the conversation of most women of refinement so intolerably full of hypocrisies.  Having cast away all faith, you cannot dispense with the show of it; the traditions of your sex must be supported.  You laugh in your sleeves at the very things which are supposed to constitute your claims to worship; you are worldly to the core.  Men are very Quixotes compared with you; even if they put on cynicism for show, they are ashamed of it within themselves.  With you, fine feeling is the affectation.  I have felt it again and again.  Explain it now; defend yourself, if you can.  Show me that I am wrong, and I will thank you heartily.’

‘My word, what an arraignment!’ cried Mrs. Rossall, between amusement at his boldness and another feeling which warmed her cheeks a little.  ’But let us pass from broad accusation to particulars.  I illustrate all these shocking things—­poor me!  How do I illustrate them?’

’In the whole of your attitude towards myself of late.  You pooh-pooh my feelings, you refuse to regard me as anything but a donkey, you prophesy that in a year or two I shall repent having made a disinterested marriage.  I observe the difference between your point of view and my father’s.  The worst of it is you are sincere:  the circumstances of the case do not call upon you for an expression of graceful sentiments, and you are not ashamed to show me how meanly you regard all that is highest and purest in life.’

’Shall I explain it?  Women are very quick to get at realities, to see below the surface in conduct and profession.  We become, you say, worldly as soon as we get into the world.  Precisely because we have to be so wide awake to protect ourselves.  We instinctively know the difference between the ring of false and true, and as we hear the false so much the oftener Your charge against us of want of real feeling is the result of your ignorance of women; you don’t see below the surface.’

’Well now, apply all this to the present instance.  What has your insight discerned in my proposed marriage to cause you to regard it as a piece of folly?’

’Simply this.  You ally yourself with some one from a class beneath your own.  Such marriages very, very seldom prove anything but miserable, and always bring a great many troubles.  You will say that Miss Hood is raised by education above the class in which she was born; but no doubt she has relatives, and they can’t be entirely got rid of.  However, that isn’t the point I lay most stress on.’

‘Well?’

’I am quite sure you will make her miserable.  You are marrying too young.  Your character is not fixed.  In a few years, before that, you will want to get rid of her.’