But the surrounding Perivalians had heard the cheer, and it was repeated backwards and forwards through the room, till the member's aunt thought that it might be her nephew's mission to annul that godless Act of Parliament, and restore the matrimonial bonds of England to their old rigidity.

When Captain Aylmer came out to hand her up to her little carriage, she patted him, and thanked him, and encouraged him; and on her way home she congratulated herself to Clara that she should have such a nephew to leave behind her in her place.
Captain Aylmer was dining with the mayor on that evening, and Mrs.
Winterfield was therefore able to indulge herself in talking about him.

"I don't see much of young men, of course," she said; "but I do not even hear of any that are like him." Again Clara thought of her cousin Will.

Will was not at all like Frederic Aylmer; but was he not better?
And yet, as she thought thus, she remembered that she had refused her cousin Will because she loved that very Frederic Aylmer whom her mind was thus condemning.
"I'm sure he does his duty as a member of Parliament very well," said Clara.
"That alone would not be much; but when that is joined to so much that is better, it is a great deal.

I am told that very few of the men in the House now are believers at all." "Oh, aunt!" "It is terrible to think of, my dear." "But, aunt; they have to take some oath, or something of that sort, to show that they are Christians." "Not now, my dear.