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ofsomethingindubitablytrue,whichhadnodirect
relationtothepointunderdiscussion.Butshehad
faint,ineradicableprejudices,andinstinctsnotquite
dormant.Therewasalargequantityofmildaffection
inhernature,thequalityofwhichmaybeillustrated
bythefactthatwhenherfatherdiedshecriedalittle
everydayafterbreakfastforaboutsixweeks.Thenshe
didnotcryanymore.Itwasimpossiblenottolikewhat
therewasofher,buttherewasreallyverylittletolike,
forshebelongedheartandsoultothegenerationand
thebreedingamongwhichitisenoughforawoman
tobealady,andvisitthekeeper’swifewhenshehas
ababy.
Butthoughtherewassolittleofher,thebalancewas
madeupforbythefactthattherewassomuchofher
husband.Hislarge,ratherflamboyantperson,hisbig
whitefaceandcurlingbrownbeard,hisloudvoiceand
hisfalsettolaugh,hisabsolutelycertainopinions,
aboveallthefervencyofhisconsciousnessofbeing
LordAshbridgeandallwhichthatimplied,completely
filledanyplacehehappenedtobein,sothataroom
emptyexceptforhimgavetheimpressionofbeing
almostuncomfortablycrowded.Thiskeen
consciousnessofhisidentitywasnaturallysufficient
tomakehimverygoodhumoured,sincehewashimself
afineexampleofthetypethatheadmiredmost.
Probablyonlytwopersonsintheworldhadthepower
ofcausinghimannoyance,butbothofthese,
byanironyoffatethatitseemedscarcelypossible
toconsideraccidental,werecloselyconnectedwith
him,foronewashissister,theotherhisonlyson.
Thegroundsoftheirpotentialityinthisrespectcan
beeasilystated.BarbaraComber,hissister(and
sooneofus”),hadmarriedanextremelywealthy
American,who,inLordAshbridge’sview,couldnot
beconsideredoneofanybodyatall;inotherwords,his
imaginationfailedtopictureawholeclassofpeople
whoresembledAnthonyJerome.Hehadhopedwhen
hissisterannouncedherintentionoftakingthis
