But this only made her tenderness for him greater; it was scarcely even painful to have to suppose him too generous, too good-natured, too indifferent to sordid considerations.

Many persons had held that he carried this indifference too far, especially the large number of those to whom he owed money.

Of their opinions Isabel was never very definitely informed; but it may interest the reader to know that, while they had recognised in the late Mr.Archer a remarkably handsome head and a very taking manner (indeed, as one of them had said, he was always taking something), they had declared that he was making a very poor use of his life.

He had squandered a substantial fortune, he had been deplorably convivial, he was known to have gambled freely.
A few very harsh critics went so far as to say that he had not even brought up his daughters.

They had had no regular education and no permanent home; they had been at once spoiled and neglected; they had lived with nursemaids and governesses (usually very bad ones) or had been sent to superficial schools, kept by the French, from which, at the end of a month, they had been removed in tears.