this ingenuity was that
she didn't know what he was talking about, and he indulged in no attempt
on that occasion to render his meaning more clear; the consequence of
which was that he felt he bore as yet with an insufficient mass, he cut,
to be plain, a poor figure. His uneasiness had not passed away, for
many things in truth were dark to him. He couldn't see his father
fraternising with Mr. Dosson, he couldn't see Margaret and Jane
recognising an alliance in which Delia was one of the allies. He had
answered for them because that was the only thing to do, and this only
just failed to be criminally reckless. What saved it was the hope he
founded upon Mme. de Brecourt and the sense of how well he could answer
to the others for Francie. He considered that Susan had in her first
judgement of his young lady committed herself; she had really taken her
in, and her subsequent protest when she found what was in his heart
had been a denial which he would make her in turn deny. The girl's slow
sweetness once acting, she would come round. A simple interview with
Francie would suffice for this result--by the end of half an hour she
should be an enthusiastic convert. By the end of an hour she would
believe she herself had invented the match--had discovered the pearl.
He would pack her off to the others as the author of the plan; she would
take it all upon herself, would represent him even as hanging a little
back. SHE would do nothing of that sort, but would boast of her superior
flair, and would so enjoy the comedy as to forget she had resisted him
even a moment. The young man had a high sense of honour but was ready in
this forecast for fifty fibs.

VII

It may as well be said at once that his prevision was soon made good
and that in the course of a fortnight old Mr. Probert and his daughters
alighted successively at the Hotel de l'Univers et de Cheltenham.
Francie's visit with her intended to Mme. de Brecourt bore exactly the
fruit her admirer had foretold and was followed the very next day by a
call from this lady. She took the girl out with her in her carriage and
kept her the whole afternoon, driving her half over Paris, chattering
with her, kissing her, delighting in her, telling her they were already
sisters, paying her compliments that made Francie envy her art of saying
things as she had never heard things said--for the excellent reason,
among many, that she had never known such things COULD be. After she had
drop