Politeness required that General Ople should not appear to rejoice in his
dismissal as a suitor, and should at least make some show of holding
himself at the beck of a reconsidering mind. He was guilty of running up
to London early next day, and remaining absent until nightfall; and he
did the same on the two following days. When he presented himself at
Lady Camper's lodge-gates, the astonishing intelligence, that her
ladyship had departed for the Continent and Egypt gave him qualms of
remorse, which assumed a more definite shape in something like awe of her
triumphant constitution. He forbore to mention her age, for he was the
most honourable of men, but a habit of tea-table talkativeness impelled
him to say and repeat an idea that had visited him, to the effect, that
Lady Camper was one of those wonderful women who are comparable to
brilliant generals, and defend themselves from the siege of Time by
various aggressive movements. Fearful of not being understood, owing to
the rarity of the occasions when the squat plain squad of honest Saxon
regulars at his command were called upon to explain an idea, he re-cast
the sentence. But, as it happened that the regulars of his vocabulary
were not numerous, and not accustomed to work upon thoughts and images,
his repetitions rather succeeded in exposing the piece of knowledge he
had recently acquired than in making his meaning plainer. So we need not
marvel that his acquaintances should suppose him to be secretly aware of
an extreme degree in which Lady Camper was a veteran.

General Ople entered into the gaieties of the neighbourhood once more,
and passed through the Winter cheerfully. In justice to him, however,
it should be said that to the intent dwelling of his mind upon Lady
Camper, and not to the festive life he led, was due his entire ignorance
of his daughter's unhappiness. She lived with him, and yet it was in
other houses he learnt that she was unhappy. After his last interview