She had dreamed, if she had not thought, of being able to worship a man; but she could hardly worship Mr.Glascock.She had dreamed, if she had not thought, of leaning upon a man all through life with her whole weight, as though that man had been specially made to be her staff, her prop, her support, her wall of comfort and protection.

She knew that if she were to marry Mr.Glascock and become Lady Peterborough, in due course she must stand a good deal by her own strength, and live without that comfortable leaning.

Nevertheless, when she found herself alone with the man, she by no means knew whether she would refuse him or not.
But she knew that she must pluck up courage for an important moment, and she collected herself, braced her muscles, as it were, for a fight, and threw her mind into an attitude of contest.
Mr.Glascock, as soon as the door was shut behind Mrs.Trevelyan's back, took a chair and placed it close beside the head of the sofa on which Nora was sitting.

"Miss Rowley," he said, "you and I have known each other now for some months, and I hope you have learned to regard me as a friend." "Oh, yes, indeed," said Nora, with some spirit.
"It has seemed to me that we have met as friends, and I can most truly say for myself, that I have taken the greatest possible pleasure in your acquaintance.

It is not only that I admire you very much,"-- he looked straight before him as he said this, and moved about the point of the stick which he was holding in both his hands,--"it is not only that,--perhaps not chiefly that, though I do admire you very much; but the truth is, that I like everything about you." Nora smiled, but she said nothing.