Emily admired and revered it so, and evidently never dreamed of doubting its omnipotence.

She used to talk as if any girl who was a beauty was a potential duchess.

In fact, this was a thing she quite ingenuously believed.

She had not lived in a world where marriage was a thing of romance, and, for that matter, neither had Agatha.

It was nice if a girl liked the man who married her, but if he was a well-behaved, agreeable person, of good means, it was natural that she would end by liking him sufficiently; and to be provided for comfortably or luxuriously for life, and not left upon one's own hands or one's parents', was a thing to be thankful for in any case.