_Miss Gryll._ He was a mere man of the world, with no feeling of any kind: tolerable in company, but tiresome beyond description in a tête-à-tête. I did not choose that he should bestow all his tediousness on me. _Mr. Gryll._ To Mr. Enavant? _Miss Gryll._ He was what is called a fast man, and was always talking of slow coaches. I had no fancy for living in an express train. I like to go quietly through life, and to see all that lies in my way. _Mr. Gryll._ To Mr. Geront? _Miss Gryll._ He had only one fault, but that one was unpardonable. He was too old. To do him justice, he did not begin as a lover. Seeing that I took pleasure in his society, he was led by degrees into fancying that I might accept him as a husband. I liked his temper, his acquirements, his conversation, his love of music and poetry, his devotion to domestic life. But age and youth cannot harmonise in marriage. _Mr. Gryll._ To Mr. Long Owen? _Miss Gryll._ He was in debt, and kept it secret from me. I thought he only wanted my fortune: but be that as it might, the concealment destroyed my esteem. _Mr. Gryll._ To Mr. Larvel? _Miss Gryll._ He was too ugly. Expression may make plain features agreeable, and I tried if daily intercourse would reconcile me to his. But no. His ugliness was unredeemed. _Mr. Gryll._ None of these objections applied to Lord Curryfin? _Miss Gryll._ No, uncle; but he came too late. And besides, he soon found what suited him better. _Mr. Gryll._ There were others. Did any of the same objections apply to them all? _Miss Gryll._ Indeed, uncle, the most of them were nothing; or at best, mere suits of good clothes; men made, as it were, to pattern by the dozen; selfish, frivolous, without any earnest pursuit, or desire to have one; ornamental drawing-room furniture, no more distinguishable in memory than a set of chairs. _Mr. Gryll._ Well, my dear Morgana, for mere negations there is no remedy; but for positive errors, even for gambling, it strikes me they are curable. _Miss Gryll._ No, uncle. Even my limited observation has shown me that men are easily cured of unfashionable virtues, but never of fashionable vices. Miss Gryll and Miss Niphet arranged that their respective marriages and those of the seven sisters should be celebrated at the same time and place. In the course of their castle-building before marriage, Miss Niphet said to her intended: 'When I am your wife, I shall release you from your promise of not trying experiments with horses, carriages, boats, and so forth; but with this proviso, that if ever you do try a dangerous experiment, it shall be in my company.' 'No, dear Alice,' he answered; 'you will make my life too dear to me, to risk it in any experiment. You shall be my guiding star, and the only question I shall ask respecting my conduct in life will be, Whether it pleases you?'