Strength and success and such-like attributes never appealed to Elisabeth, possibly because she herself was strong, and possessed all the qualities of the successful person; but weakness and failure were all-powerful in enlisting her sympathy and interest and, through these, her love.

As Christopher grew older he dreamed dreams of how in the future he should raise himself from being only the nephew of Miss Farringdon's manager to a position of wealth and importance; and how he should finally bring all his glories and honours and lay them at Elisabeth's feet.

His eyes were not opened to see that Elisabeth would probably turn with careless laughter from all such honours thus manufactured into her pavement; but if he came to her bent and bruised and brokenhearted, crushed with failure instead of crowned with success, her heart would never send him empty away, but would go out to him with a passionate longing to make up to him for all that he had missed in life.
A few days after Mrs.Bateson's tea-party he said to Elisabeth, for about the twentieth time: "I say, I wish you wouldn't tire yourself with going to read to that Stubbs brat." "Tire myself?
What rubbish! nothing can tire me.

I never felt tired in my life; but I shouldn't mind it just once, to see what it feels like." "It feels distinctly unpleasant, I can tell you.

But I really do wish you'd take more care of yourself, or else you'll get ill, or have headaches or something--you will indeed." "No, I shan't; I never had a headache.