He ended with a wrathful shrug of the shoulders. When he spoke again there was a tremor in his voice, partly of righteous indignation, partly of despair at the folly of mankind. “I speak entirely without prejudice, but honestly, do you think Dr. Gray fitted for such responsibilities?” “I certainly don’t,” replied Mrs. Fitzherbert, who till that day had never even heard of the distinguished pedagogue. “I can’t see that he has any claim at all. He’s not a man of influence, he’s not even a man of birth. Nobody ever heard of his father, while mine will be celebrated as long as English history is read.” “I can’t tell you how sorry and disappointed I am.” Canon Spratte paused in his indignant promenade and waved his hand picturesquely towards the open window. “Ah, my dear friend, don’t trouble yourself with my small annoyances. Go and have tea now; it will be bad for you if you keep it standing.” “And you, dear Canon?” “I will face the disappointment in the privacy of my own apartment.” Mrs. Fitzherbert left him, and with a despondent sigh he turned to go into his study. His glance fell on his father’s portrait, and a thought came to him which in a layman might have expressed itself in the words: “By Jove, if he were alive, he’d make ’em skip.” He shrugged his shoulders, and passing a looking-glass, paused to observe himself. Meditatively he ran his fingers through his curly, abundant hair; and then, almost without thinking what he was about, took from his pocket a little comb and passed it through the disarranged locks. “I suppose I must go to Savile Row to-morrow, and tell them they can set to work on those trousers,” he muttered. IX It was almost with a sense of disillusion that Winnie realized the fight was won. Feeling very truly that opposition would only have increased her determination to marry Bertram Railing, she would have been pleased, in heroic mood, to do more desperate battle for her love. She was like a man who puts out all his strength to lift an iron weight and finds it of cardboard, light and hollow, so that he is sent sprawling on the ground. Winnie had braced herself to strenuous efforts, and since they were unneeded, the affair gained somewhat the look of a tragedy turned to farce. The conditions which the Canon had set were precise, but easy; he gave no sanction to the engagement but offered no hostility. Only, for a year nothing must be said about it to any one.