How THAT began was a subject of inexhaustible speculation to Hicks.
Probably in the beginning she was just a little "nice" to him
with that impartial partiality of hers, and it may be that to her eyes,
standing out conspicuously as he did ruling his monster in the upper air,
he had a distinction that Hicks was not disposed to find. And somehow
they must have had a moment of sufficient isolation, and the great
Discoverer a moment of sufficient courage for something just
a little personal to be mumbled or blurted. However it began,
there is no doubt that it did begin, and presently became quite
perceptible to a world accustomed to find in the proceedings
of the Lady Mary Elkinghorn a matter of entertainment. It complicated
things, because the state of love in such a virgin mind as Filmer's
would brace his resolution, if not sufficiently, at any rate
considerably towards facing a danger he feared, and hampered him
in such attempts at evasion as would otherwise be natural and congenial.

It remains a matter for speculation just how the Lady Mary felt
for Filmer and just what she thought of him. At thirty-eight one
may have gathered much wisdom and still be not altogether wise,
and the imagination still functions actively enough in creating
glamours and effecting the impossible. He came before her eyes
as a very central man, and that always counts, and he had powers,
unique powers as it seemed, at any rate in the air. The performance
with the model had just a touch of the quality of a potent incantation,
and women have ever displayed an unreasonable disposition to imagine
that when a man has powers he must necessarily have Power. Given
so much, and what was not good in Filmer's manner and appearance
became an added merit. He was modest, he hated display, but given
an occasion where TRUE qualities are needed, then--then one would see!