will perceive that I am not indifferent to his attentions. I shall dream that night that I am looking at the extraordinary face of a magnified insect—and the next morning he will make me an offer of his hand; the sequel as before."
"That is a portrait of some one you have seen already, Gwen. Mr Grandcourt may be a delightful young man for what you know."
"Oh yes," said Gwendolen, with a high note of careless admission, taking off her best hat and turning it round on her hand contemplatively.
"I wonder what sort of behaviour a delightful young man would have!" Then, with a merry change of face, "I know he would have hunters and racers, and a London house and two country-houses,—one with battlements and another with a veranda. And I feel sure that with a little murdering he might get a title."
The irony of this speech was of the doubtful sort that has some genuine belief mixed up with it. Poor Mrs Davilow felt uncomfortable under it, her own meanings being usually literal and in intention innocent; and she said, with a distressed brow—
"Don't talk in that way, child, for heaven's sake! you do read such books—they give you such ideas of everything. I declare when your
