On that account did she watch his pranks with so indulgent an eye, and give herself trouble to enlarge the scope of his entertaining activity.

She knew, however, that the man was not cast in heroic mould; that he was capable of scruples, inclined to indolence; that he did not, after all, sufficiently believe in himself to go very far in the subjugation of others.

Therefore she had never entertained the thought of seriously devoting herself to his cause, but was content to play with it until something more piquant should claim her attention.
Mrs.Toplady had always wished for the coming of the very hero, the man without fear, without qualm, who should put our finicking civilisation under his feet.

Her god was a compound of the blood-reeking conqueror and the diplomatist supreme in guile.

For such a man she would have poured out her safe-invested treasure, enough rewarded with a nod of half-disdainful recognition.