I had not expected anything so grand, so beautiful.
"We shall have time for a cigar and a stroll before dinner," said Lance, as he threw the reins to the groom; "but you must see Frances first, John--you must see her." But one of the servants told us that Mrs.Fleming was in the drawing-room, engaged with Lady Ledbitter.

Lance's face fell.
"You do not seem to care for Lady Ledbitter," I said to him.
"In truth I do not; she is a county magnate, and a local horror I call her.

She leads all the ladies of the country; they are frightened to death of her; they frown when she frowns, smile when she smiles.

I begged of Frances not to fall under her sway, but I have begged in vain, no doubt.

If she has been there for half and hour Frances will have given in." He turned on me suddenly, so suddenly, indeed, that he almost startled me.
"Do you know," he said, "those kind of women, fair and calm, whose thoughts seem to be always turned inward?
My wife is one of those; when one talks to her she listens with her eyes down, and seems as though she had left another world of thought just for your sake.