"As he became convalescent, his plan ripened into form. When the danger had entirely passed away, his health was restored to its accustomed state; he offered her, as the only fitting reward of her services--a toy? an ornament? a purse? a house? an estate? or any of those munificent gifts with which wealthy and generous convalescents reward their favourite attendants? No. He offered her his hand, his name, his fortune! Of course, the good lady was astonished at the portentous shape of her patient's gratitude. She started objections, being older, and having more worldly prudence than her lover. It is even said that she seriously refused her consent to the match, urging the various arguments which might fairly be alleged against it,--the inequality in the years, fortune, social position of the parties, and so forth--but all to no purpose. Howard's mind was made up. During his slow recovery, he had weighed the matter carefully--had come to the conclusion that it was his duty to marry her, and nothing could now change his determination. The struggle between the two must have been extremely curious: the sense of duty on both sides, founded upon honest convictions, no doubt,--the mutual respect without the consuming fire,--the cool and logical weighing of arguments, in place of the rapid pleading of triumphant passion; the young man without the ordinary inspirations of youth, on the one hand; the widow, past her prime, yet simple, undesigning, unambitious, earnestly struggling to reject and put aside youth, wealth, protection, honour, social rank,--the very things for which women are taught to dress, to pose, to intrigue, almost to circumvent heaven, on the other;--form together a picture which has its romantic interest, in spite of the incongruity of the main idea. Humble life is not without its heroic acts. _Cæsar refusing the Roman crown_, even had he been really serious, and without after-thought in its rejection, _is a paltry piece of magnanimity, compared with Mrs Loidore's refusal of the hand of Howard_. At length, however, her resistance was overcome by the indomitable will of her suitor. One of the contemporary biographers has thrown an air of romance over the scene of this domestic struggle, which, if the lady had been young and beautiful--that is, if the element of passion could be admitted into the arena--would have been truly charming. As it is, the reader may receive it with such modifications as he or she may deem necessary. 'On the very first opportunity,' says this grave but imaginative chronicler, 'Mr Howard expressed his sentiments to her in the strongest terms of affection, assuring her that, if she rejected his proposal, _he would become an exile for ever to his family and friends_.