"I've spoken the truth as I believed it." "No, I say no, Grantley! You've spoken it as you would have me believe it, as you try to make yourself believe it. But it's not the truth!" She came one step nearer to him. "I used to pray that you should change," she said imploringly. "I don't pray that now. It's impossible. And I don't think I want it. Don't change; but, oh, be yourself! Be yourself to me and to yourself. You haven't been to either of us. Open your heart to both of us; let us both know you as you are. Don't be ashamed either before me or before yourself. I know I'm difficult! Heavens, aren't you--even the real you--difficult too? But if you won't be honest in the end, then God help us! But if you'll be yourself to me and to yourself, then, my dear, I think it would be enough." He came to her and took her hand. "No man ever loved woman more than I love you," he said. "Then try, then try, then try!" she whispered, and her eyes met his. There seemed in them a far-off gleam of the light which once had blazed from them on the fairy ride. CHAPTER XXVII SAMPLES OF THE BULK "You do think they'll be happy?" Mrs. Selford asked a little apprehensively. Her manner craved reassurance. "Why put that question to me--to me, of all people? Is it on the principle of knowing the worst? If even a cynic like me thinks they'll be happy, the prospect will be very promising--is that it?" "Goodness knows I don't expect the ideal! I've never had it myself. Oh, I don't see why I need pretend with you, and I shouldn't deceive you if I did. I've never had the ideal myself, and I don't expect it for Anna. We've seen too much in our set to expect the ideal. And sometimes I can't quite make Anna out." Mrs. Selford was evidently uneasy. "She gets on better with her father than with me now; and I think I get on better with Walter than Richard does." "Young Walter has a way with him," smiled Caylesham. "I hope we shan't get into opposite camps and quarrel. Richard and I have been such good friends lately. And then, of course----" She hesitated a little. "Of course there may be a slight awkwardness here and there." Caylesham understood the covert allusion; the marriage might make matters difficult with the Imasons. "The young folks will probably make their own friends. Our old set's rather broken up one way and the other, isn't it? Not that I was ever a full member of it." "We've always been glad to see you," she murmured absently. "On the whole I feel equal to encouraging you to a certain extent," he said, standing before the fire. "Anna will be angry pretty often, but I don't think she will be, or need be, unhappy. She doesn't take things to heart too readily, does she?" "No, she doesn't." The assent hardly sounded like praise of her daughter. "Well, that's a good thing. And she's got lots of pluck and a will of her own." "Oh, yes, she's got that!"