I confess I had anticipated no difficulties.

We are not a household of bigoted Conservatives; it is hard for me to imagine you taking any line but that of an enlightened man who judges all things from the standpoint of liberal reflection.

I suppose my own scorn of prejudices is largely due to your influence.

It is not easy to realise our being in conflict on any matter involving calm reasonableness.' In another this would have been a shrewd speech.

Wilfrid was incapable of conscious artifice of this kind; this appeal, the very strongest he could have made to his father, was urged in all sincerity, and derived its force from that very fact.