it did not occur to him to decline the responsibility
altogether; on the contrary, he was perhaps more eager than he would
have been otherwise, seeing that his elderly love had far more need of
his devotion than he had ever expected her to have; but, notwithstanding,
he was disturbed by such an unlooked-for change of circumstances, as was
natural, and did not quite know what was to be done with Lucy. He was
full of thoughts on this subject as he proceeded towards the house, to
the interview which, to use sentimental language, was to decide his
fate. But, to tell the truth, Mr Proctor was not in a state of very deep
anxiety about his fate. The idea of being refused was too unreasonable
an idea to gain much ground in his mind. He was going to offer his
personal support, affection, and sympathy to Miss Wodehouse at the least
fortunate moment in her life; and if there was anything consolatory in
marriage at all, the late Rector sensibly concluded that it must be
doubly comforting under such circumstances, and that the offer of an
honest man's hand and house and income was not a likely thing to be
rejected by a woman of Miss Wodehouse's experience and good sense--not
to speak of his heart, which was very honest and true and affectionate,
though it had outlived the fervours of youth. Such was Mr Proctor's view
of the matter; and the chances were strong that Miss Wodehouse entirely
agreed with him--so, but for a certain shyness which made him rather
nervous, it would not be correct to say that the late Rector was in a
state of special anxiety about the answer he was likely to receive. He
was, however, anxious about Lucy. His bachelor mind was familiar with
all the ordinary traditions about the inexpediency of being surrounded
by a wife's family; and he had a little of the primitive male sentiment,
shared one way or other by most husbands, that the old system of buying
a woman right out, and carrying her off for his own sole and private
satisfaction, was, after all, the correct way of managing such matters.
To be sure, a pretty, young, unmarried sister, was perhaps the least
objectionable encumbrance a woman could have; but, notwithstanding, Mr
Proctor would have been glad could he have seen any feasible way of
disposing of Lucy. It was utterly out of the question to think of her
going out as a governess; and it was quite evident that Mr Wentworth,
even were he perfectly cleared of every imputation, having himself
nothing to liv