e blood. None of these are available just
now, so she is still '_Une Madeleine, dans la puissance de son mari, et
dans l'impuissance de se repentir_.'"

It was worse than useless to argue with Fallowfield. All your own best
hits were turned aside by the target of his cynicism and unbelief, while
his sophistries and sarcasms often came home. Like old wounds, they
would begin to shoot and rankle in after years, just when it was most
important and profitable to forget them.

We separated soon after this. Sir Henry's face wore an expression of
placid self-congratulation. He thought the conversation had been rather
improving, I believe, and that some of the ideas and illustrations had
been rather neatly put; so he laid his head down that night with the
calm, satisfied feeling of a good man who has done his duty and not lost
a day.

He was not more ingenious in overcoming the scruples of others than in
silencing his own conscience, though of late years this last had
probably ceased to give him much trouble. Finer feelings with him were
only "sensations morbidly exaggerated," and he made no sort of
allowance for such; among others, utterly ignoring remorse, I doubt if
he ever looked forward; I am sure he never looked back. A parody on the
"tag" which was given to Cambronne would sum up his terribly simple and
consistent creed--_La femme se rend, mais ne meurt pas_.

CHAPTER XIV.

"I hold him but a fool, that would endanger
His body for a girl that loves him not."

Fallowfield left us the next morning, the Bellasys later in the same
day. They were to pay divers visits, and then return to Kerton. Lady
Catharine pressed them to do so; though she liked the daughter less than
the mother, she was so anxious Guy should marry some one that I think
she would have accepted even Flora with thankfulness.

It is a favorite delusion with the British parent that marriage will
work a miracle, and steady their children for life, by casting forth the
_lutins_ who beset them. A thousand failures have not convinced the good
speculative matrons of the hazard of the experiment, nor will as many
more do so; they will go on match-making and blundering to the end of
time. For a very brief space the evil spirits are exorcised; but before
the gloss is off the new-married couple's new furniture, one of the band
creeps back and opens the door to his fellows. These hardly know their
old quarters at first, but they soon begin to li