Mrs. Clover's veto upon his
tender hopes with regard to Minnie had not only distressed, but
greatly surprised him; for during the last few months he had often
said to himself that, whether Minnie favoured his suit or not, her
mother's goodwill was a certainty. His advances had been of the most
delicate, no word of distinct wooing had passed his lips; but he
thought of Minnie a great deal, and came to the decision that in her
the hopes of his life were centred. It might be that Minnie had no
inkling of his intentions; she was so modest, so unlike the everyday
girls who tittered and ogled with every marriageable man; on that
very account he had made her his ideal. And Mrs. Clover would help
him as a mother best knows how. The shock of learning that Mrs.
Clover would do no such thing utterly confused his mind. He still
longed for Minnie, yet seemed of a sudden hopelessly remote from
her. He could not determine whether he had given her up or not; he
did not know whether to bow before Mrs. Clover or to protest and
persevere. He liked Mrs.
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