If you should want any one to defend you--" "At these coming elections, for instance." "Then, or at any other time, there are plenty here who will be ready to stand up for you." "Plenty! I don't want plenty: one good lance in the olden days was always worth more than a score of ordinary men-at-arms." "But you talked about three or four." "Yes; but then you see, Mr Gresham, I have never yet found the one good lance--at least, not good enough to suit my ideas of true prowess." What could Frank do but declare that he was ready to lay his own in rest, now and always in her behalf?
His aunt had been quite angry with him, and had thought that he turned her into ridicule, when he spoke of making an offer to her guest that very evening; and yet here he was so placed that he had hardly an alternative.

Let his inward resolution to abjure the heiress be ever so strong, he was now in a position which allowed him no choice in the matter.

Even Mary Thorne could hardly have blamed him for saying, that so far as his own prowess went, it was quite at Miss Dunstable's service.

Had Mary been looking on, she, perhaps, might have thought that he could have done so with less of that look of devotion which he threw into his eyes.
"Well, Mr Gresham, that's very civil--very civil indeed," said Miss Dunstable.

"Upon my word, if a lady wanted a true knight she might do worse than trust to you.