‘Sounds like old Colney,’ Victor remarked to himself.  ’But, believe me, I’m ashamed of the number of servants who wait on me.  It wouldn’t so much matter, as Skepsey says, if they were trained to arms and self-respect.  That little fellow Skepsey’s closer to the right notion, and the right practice, too, than any of us.  With his Matilda Pridden!  He has jumped out of himself to the proper idea of women, too.  And there’s a man who has been up three times before the magistrates, and is considered a disorderly subject—­one among the best of English citizens, I declare!  I never think of Skepsey without the most extraordinary, witless kind of envy—­as if he were putting in action an idea I once had and never quite got hold of again.  The match for him is Fredi.  She threatens to be just as devoted, just as simple, as he.  I positively doubt whether any of us could stop her, if she had set herself to do a thing she thought right.’

‘I should not like to think our trying it possible,’ said Dartrey.

’All very well, but it’s a rock ahead.  We shall have to alter our course, my friend.  You know, I dined with that couple, after the private twenty minutes with Marsett:  he formally propounded the invitation, as we were close on his hour, rather late:  and I wanted to make the woman happy, besides putting a seal of cordiality on his good intentions—­politic!  And subsequently I heard from her, that—­you’ll think nothing of it!—­Fredi promised to stand by her at the altar.’

Dartrey said, shrugging:  ‘She needn’t do that.’

’So we may say.  You’re dealing with Nesta Victoria.  Spare me a contest with that girl, I undertake to manage any man or woman living.’

‘When the thing to be done is thought right by her.’

‘But can we always trust her judgement, my dear Dartrey?’

’In this case, she would argue, that her resolution to keep her promise would bind or help to bind Marsett to fulfil his engagement.’

’Odd, her mother has turned dead round in favour of that fellow Dudley Sowerby!  I don’t complain; it suits; but one thinks—­eh?—­women!’

’Well, yes, one thinks or should think, that if you insist on having women rooted to the bed of the river, they’ll veer with the tides, like water-weeds, and no wonder.’

’Your heterodoxy on that subject is a mania, Dartrey.  We can’t have women independent.’

‘Then don’t be exclaiming about their vagaries.’

Victor mused:  ’It’s wonderful:  that little girl of mine!—­good height now:  but what a head she has!  Oh, she’ll listen to reason:  only mark what I say:—­with that quiet air of hers, the husband, if a young fellow, will imagine she’s the most docile of wives in the world.  And as to wife, I’m not of the contrary opinion.  But qua individual female, supposing her to have laid fast hold of an idea of duty, it’s he who’ll have to turn the corner second, if they’re to trot in the yoke