And when the Domecqs came to Herne Hill at Christmas, he was as deeply in love as ever.

But she still laughed at him.
His father was fond of her, liked all the sisters, and thought much of them as girls of fine character, but he liked Adele best.

He seems to have been fond of his partner, too, worked very hard in his interests, and behaved very well to his heirs afterwards through many years of responsible and difficult management of their business.

And at this time, when he went down to the convent school in Essex, as he often did, he must have had opportunities for seeing how hopeless the case was.

Mr.
Domecq recognised it, too, but thought, it seems (they manage these things differently in France), that any of his daughters would do as well, and early in 1839 entertained an offer from Baron Duquesne, a rich and handsome young Frenchman.