distance. She thought she saw something else, too, as well as fame.
The interest which Minola took in Herbert's poems must surely betoken
some interest in Herbert himself. She knew well enough, too, that there
is nothing which so disposes some women to love men as the knowledge
that they are serving and helping the men. This subject of love the
little poetess had long and quaintly studied. She had followed it
through no end of poems and romances, and lain awake through long hours
of many nights considering it. She had subjected it to severe analysis,
bringing to the aid of the analyzing process that gift of imagination
which it is rarely permitted to the hard scientific inquirer to employ
to any purpose. She had pictured herself as the object of all manner of
wooings, under every conceivable variety of circumstances. Love by
surprise; love by the slow degrees of steady growth; love pressed upon
her by ardent youth; gravely tendered by a dignified maturity which,
until her coming, had never known such passion; love bending down to her
from a castle, looking up to her from the cottage of the peasant--love
in every form had tried her in fancy, and she had pleased and vexed
herself into conjuring up its various effects upon her susceptibility.
But the general result of the poetess's self-examination was to show
that the love which would most keenly touch her heart would be that
which was born of passion and compassion united. He, that is to say,
whom she had helped and patronized, and saved, would be the man she best
could love. Perhaps Mary Blanchet's years had something to do with this
turn of feeling. The unused emotions of the maternal went, in her
breast, to blend with and make up the equally unsatisfied sentiments of
love; and her vague idea of a lover was that of somebody who should be
husband and child in one.

Anyhow the result of all this, in the present instance, was that Mary
felt a sudden and strong conviction that to allow Minola Grey to do
Herbert a kindly service was a grand thing gained toward inducing Minola
to fall in love with him.

So the three conspirators fell to making their arrangements. The parts
were easily divided. Mr. Heron was to undertake the business of the
affair, to see publishers, and printers, and so forth; Mary Blanchet was
to undertake, or at least endeavor, to obtain the consent of her
brother, whose proud spirit might perhaps revolt against such patronage,
even from friendly hands.