It was much in favour of his resolution, that Dora really was not at all the kind of woman he had pictured to himself, either as amiable or charming: she was not in the least like his last patterns of heroines, or any of his approved imaginations of the _beau ideal_. But she was an exceedingly pretty girl; she was the only very pretty and tolerably accomplished girl immediately near him. A dangerous propinquity! CHAPTER XII. White Connal and his father--we name the son first, because his superior wealth inverting the order of nature, gave him, in his own opinion, the precedency on all occasions--White Connal and his father arrived at Corny Castle. King Corny rejoiced to see his old friend, the elder Connal; but through all the efforts that his majesty made to be more than civil to the son, the degenerate grazier, his future son-in-law, it was plain that he was only keeping his promise, and receiving such a guest as he ought to be received. Mademoiselle decided that old Connal, the father, was quite a gentleman, for he handed her about, and in his way had some politeness towards the sex; but as for the son, her abhorrence must have burst forth in plain English, if it had not exhaled itself safely in French, in every exclamation of contempt which the language could afford. She called him _bête!_ and _grand bête!_ by turns, _butor! âne!_ and _grand butor!--nigaud!_ and _grand nigaud!_--pronounced him to be “Un homme qui ne dit rien--d’ailleurs un homme qui n’a pas l’air comme il faut--un homme, enfin, qui n’est pas présentable--même en fait de mari.” Dora looked unutterable things; but this was not unusual with her. Her scornful airs, and short answers, were not more decidedly rude to White Connal than to others; indeed she was rather more civil to him than to Ormond. There was nothing in her manner of keeping Connal at a distance, beyond what he, who had not much practice or skill in the language of female coquetry, might construe into maiden coyness to the acknowledged husband lover. It seemed as if she had some secret hope, or fear, or reason, for not coming to open war: in short, as usual, she was odd, if not unintelligible. White Connal did not disturb himself at all to follow her doublings: his pleasure was not in the chase--he was sure the game was his own. Be bold, but not too bold, White Connal!--be negligent, but not too negligent, of the destined bride. ‘Tis bad, as you say, to be spoiling a _wife_ before marriage; but what if she should never _be_ your wife? thought some.