Miss Boncassen
at any rate did not laugh at him. And then she was so pleasant, so
full of common sense, and so completely intelligent! 'I like
you,' she said, 'because I feel that you will not think that you
ought to make love to me. There is nothing I hate so much as the
idea that a young man and a young woman can't be acquainted with
each other without some tomfoolery as that.' This had exactly
expressed his own feeling. Nothing could be so pleasant as his
intimacy with Isabel Boncassen.
Mrs Boncassen seemed to be a homely person, with no desire either
to speak, or to be spoken to. She went out but seldom, and on
those rare occasions did not in any way interfere with her
daughter. Mr Boncassen filled a prouder situation. Everybody knew
that Miss Boncassen was in England because it suited Mr Boncassen
to spend many hours in the British Museum. But still the daughter
hardly seemed to be under control from her father. She went alone
where she liked; talked to those she liked; and did what she
liked. Some of the young ladies of the day thought that there was
a good deal to be said in favour of the freedom which she enjoyed.
Pages:
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425