How has he impressed you
from the first?"
Lilian reflected for an instant, and spoke with grave
conscientiousness.
"My husband considers him his best friend. He thinks very highly of
him. They are unlike each other in many things. Mr. Quarrier
sometimes wishes that he--that Mr. Glazzard were more active, less
absorbed in art; but I have never heard him say anything worse than
that. He likes him very much indeed. They have been friends since
boyhood."
The listener sat with bowed head, and there was a brief silence.
"Then you think," she said at length, "that I shall be quite safe in
--Oh, that is a bad way of putting it! Do forgive me for talking to
you like this. You, Mrs. Quarrier, are very happily married; but I
am sure you can sympathize with a girl's uncertainty. We have so few
opportunities of----Oh, it was so true what Mr. Quarrier said in
his lecture at the Institute--before you came. He said that a girl
had to take her husband so very much on trust--of course his words
were better than those, but that's what he meant."
"Yes--I know--I have heard him say the same thing."
"I don't ask," pursued the other, quickly, "about his religious
opinions, or anything of that kind. Nowadays, I suppose, there are
very few men who believe as women do--as most women do." She
glanced at Lilian timidly. "I only mean--do you think him a good
man--an honourable man?"
"To that I can reply with confidence," said Lilian, sweetly.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206