by the age of seventy, and you were credulous—­General Ople, listen to me, and remember that you have no collar on—­you were credulous of my statement of my great age, or you chose to be so, or chose to seem so, because I had brushed your cat’s coat against the fur.  And then, full of yourself, not thinking of Elizabeth, but to withdraw in the chivalrous attitude of the man true to his word to the old woman, only stickling to bring a certain independence to the common stock, because—­I quote you! and you have no collar on, mind—­“you could not be at your wife’s mercy,” you broke from your proposal on the money question.  Where was your consideration for Elizabeth then?

’Well, General, you were fond of thinking of yourself, and I thought I would assist you.  I gave you plenty of subject matter.  I will not say I meant to work a homoeopathic cure.  But if I drive you to forget your collar, is it or is it not a triumph?

‘No,’ added Lady Camper, ’it is no triumph for me, but it is one for you, if you like to make the most of it.  Your fault has been to quit active service, General, and love your ease too well.  It is the fault of your countrymen.  You must get a militia regiment, or inspectorship of militia.  You are ten times the man in exercise.  Why, do you mean to tell me that you would have cared for those drawings of mine when marching?’

‘I think so, I say I think so,’ remarked the General seriously.

‘I doubt it,’ said she.  ’But to the point; here comes Elizabeth.  If you have not much money to spare for her, according to your prudent calculation, reflect how this money has enfeebled you and reduced you to the level of the people round about us here—­who are, what?  Inhabitants of gentlemanly residences, yes!  But what kind of creature?  They have no mental standard, no moral aim, no native chivalry.  You were rapidly becoming one of them, only, fortunately for you, you were sensitive to ridicule.’

‘Elizabeth shall have half my money settled on her,’ said the General; ‘though I fear it is not much.  And if I can find occupation, my lady...’

‘Something worthier than that,’ said Lady Camper, pencilling outlines rapidly on the margin of a book, and he saw himself lashing a pony; ’or that,’ and he was plucking at a cabbage; ‘or that,’ and he was bowing to three petticoated posts.

‘The likeness is exact,’ General Ople groaned.

‘So you may suppose I have studied you,’ said she.  ’But there is no real likeness.  Slight exaggerations do more harm to truth than reckless violations of it.

You would not have cared one bit for a caricature, if you had not nursed the absurd idea of being one of our conquerors.  It is the very tragedy of modesty for a man like you to have such notions, my poor dear good friend.  The modest are the most easily intoxicated when they sip at vanity.  And reflect whether you have not been intoxicated, for these young people have been wretched, and you have not observed it, though one of them was living with you, and is the child you love.  There, I have done.  Pray show a good face to Elizabeth.’