Lady Ogram is, undeniably, a very remarkable woman." Immediately after this conversation, Lashmar wrote off to Mrs.Toplady, half-a-dozen exultant lines, announcing his success No more wavering, he said to himself.

Fate was on his side.

He had but to disregard all paltry obstacles, and go straight on.
Yet one obstacle, and that not altogether paltry, continually haunted his mind.

He could not forget Lady Ogram's obvious intention that he should marry Constance Bride; and such a marriage was altogether out of harmony with his ambition.

If it brought him money--that is to say, a substantial fortune--he might be content to accept it, but it could not be more than a compromise; he aimed at a very different sort of alliance.