No; he is not that description of lay-figure. You have dressed it, and
gemmed it, and--made your discovery. Here is a true man; and if you can
find me any of your heroes to match him, I will thank you. He came on
the day I speak of, to consult me as to whether, with the income he
then had ... Well, I had to tell him you were engaged. The man has
never wavered in his love of you since that day. He has had to bear
something.'

This was an electrical bolt into Tony's bosom, shaking her from
self-pity and shame to remorseful pity of the suffering lover; and the
tears ran in streams, as she said:

'He bore it, Emmy, he bore it.' She sobbed out: 'And he went on building
a fortune and batting! Whatever he undertakes he does perfectly-approve
of the pattern or not. Oh! I have no doubt he had his nest of wish
piping to him all the while: only it seems quaint, dear, quaint, and
against everything we've been reading of lovers! Love was his bread and
butter!' Her dark eyes showered. 'And to tell you what you do not know
of him, his way of making love is really,' she sobbed, 'pretty. It... it
took me by surprise; I was expecting a bellow and an assault of horns;
and if, dear:--you will say, what boarding-school girl have you got with
you! and I feel myself getting childish:--if Sol in his glory had not
been so m ... majestically m... magnificent, nor seemed to show me the
king ... kingdom of my dreams, I might have stammered the opposite word
to the one he heard. Last night, when he took my hand kindly before
going to bed I had a fit for dropping on my knees to him. I saw him
bleed, and he held himself right royally. I told you he did;--Sol in his
moral grandeur! How infinitely above the physical monarch--is he not,
Emmy? What one dislikes, is the devotion of all that grandeur to win a
widow. It should be a maiden princess. You feel it so, I am sure.
And here am I, as if a maiden princess were I, demanding romantic
accessories of rubious vapour in the man condescending to implore
the widow to wed him. But, tell me, does he know everything of his
widow--everything? I shall not have to go through the frightful
chapter?'

'He is a man with his eyes awake; he knows as much as any husband could
require to know,' said Emma; adding: 'My darling! he trusts you. It is
the soul of the man that loves you, as it is mine. You will not tease
him? Promise me. Give yourself frankly. You see it clearly before you.'

'I see compulsion, my dear. W