I should be the last to advise her against it, if she would only wait the proper time, and then marry at least a gentleman." "But you don't really mean to say that you suppose Eleanor has ever thought of marrying Mr.Slope?
Why, Mr.Bold has only been dead a year." "Eighteen months," said his daughter.

"But I don't suppose Eleanor has ever thought about it.

It is very probable, though, that he has; and that he will try and make her do so; and that he will succeed too, if we don't take care what we are about." This was quite a new phase of the affair to poor Mr.Harding.To have thrust upon him as his son-in-law, as the husband of his favourite child, the only man in the world whom he really positively disliked, would be a misfortune which he felt he would not know how to endure patiently.

But then, could there be any ground for so dreadful a surmise?
In all worldly matters he was apt to look upon the opinion of his eldest daughter as one generally sound and trustworthy.

In her appreciation of character, of motives, and the probable conduct both of men and women, she was usually not far wrong.