In an instant her quick imagination realised herself as the daughter and niece of two discredited members of a great class.

When she attacked the class, or the system, the man beside her--any man in similar circumstances--must naturally think: "Ah, well, poor girl--Dick Boyce's daughter--what can you expect ?" Whereas--Aldous Raeburn!--she thought of the dignity of the Maxwell name, of the width of the Maxwell possessions, balanced only by the high reputation of the family for honourable, just and Christian living, whether as amongst themselves or towards their neighbours and dependents.

A shiver of passionate vanity, wrath, and longing passed through her as her tall frame stiffened.
"There are model squires, of course," she said slowly, striving at least for a personal dignity which should match his.

"There are plenty of landowners who do their duty as they understand it--no one denies that.
But that does not affect the system; the grandson of the best man may be the worst, but his one-man power remains the same.

No! the time has come for a wider basis.