But there came a turn where she and Rebecca separated.  Rebecca’s insurgent wishes taking shape of prophecy, robbed her of her friend Owain, to present her an impossible object, that her mind could not compass or figure.  She bade Rebecca rest and let her keep the fancy of Owain as her good ghost of a sun in the mist of a frosty morning; sweeter to her than an image of love, though it were the very love, the love of maidens’ dreams, bursting the bud of romance, issuing its flower.  Delusive love drove away with a credulous maiden, under an English heaven, on a coach and four, from a windy hill-top, to a crash below, and a stunned recovery in the street of small shops, mud, rain, gloom, language like musket-fire and the wailing wounded.

No regrets, her father had said; they unman the heart we want for to-morrow.  She kept her look forward at the dead wall Chillon had thrown up.  He did not reject her company; his prospect of it had clouded; and there were allusions to Henrietta’s loneliness.  ’His Carin could do her service by staying, if she decided that way.’  Her enthusiasm dropped to the level of life’s common ground.  With her sustainment gone, she beheld herself a titled doll, and had sternly to shut her eyes on the behind scenes, bar any shadowy approaches of womanly softness; thinking her father’s daughter dishonoured in the submissive wife of the weak young nobleman Chillon despised as below the title of man.

Madge and Gower came to Stoneridge on their road to London three days before their union.  Madge had no fear of Ines, but said:  ’I never let Mr. Gower out of my sight.’  Perforce of studying him with the thirsty wonder consequent upon his proposal to her, she had got fast hold of the skirts of his character; she ’knew he was happy because he was always making her laugh at herself.’  Her manner of saying, ’She hoped to give him a comfortable home, so that he might never be sorry for what he had done,’ was toned as in a church, beautiful to her mistress.  Speaking of my lord’s great kindness, her eyes yearned for a second and fell humbly.  She said of Kit Ives, ’He’s found a new “paytron,” Sarah says Mr. Woodseer tells her, my lady.  It’s another nobleman, Lord Brailstone, has come into money lately and hired him for his pugilist when it’s not horseracing.’  Gower spoke of thanks to Lord Fleetwood for the independence allowing him to take a wife and settle to work in his little Surrey home.  He, too, showed he could have said more and was advised not to push at a shut gate.  My lord would attend their wedding as well as my lady, Carinthia heard from Madge; counting it a pity that wealthy noblemen had no professions to hinder the doing of unprofitable things.

Her sensibility was warmer on the wedding-day of these two dear ones.  He graced the scene, she admitted, when reassured by his perfect reserve toward her personally.  He was the born nobleman in his friendliness with the bridal pair and respectfulness to Mr. Woodseer.  High social breeding is an exquisite performance on the instrument we are, and his behaviour to her left her mind at liberty for appreciation of it.  Condescension was not seen, his voice had no false note.  During the ceremony his eyelids blinked rapidly.  At the close, he congratulated the united couple, praising them each for the wisdom of their choice.  He said to his countess: