I suppose he means to marry.' 'I believe he does,' replied Clarice promptly.

'Mrs.Willoughby.' Fielding stopped and apostrophised the stars.

'That is perfectly untrue,' he said.

He walked on again as soon as he perceived that he had stopped, adding, with a grumble, 'I pity the woman who marries Drake.' 'Why ?' asked Clarice in a tone of complete surprise, as though the idea was incomprehensible to her, and she repeated insistently, 'Why ?' 'Well,' he said, inventing a reason, 'I think he would never stand in actual need of her.' Clarice drew a sharp breath--a sigh of longing, it seemed to her companion, as for something desirable beyond all blessings.
He continued in the tone of argument, 'And she would come to know that.
Surely she would feel it.' 'Yes, but feel proud of it perhaps,' replied Clarice, 'proud of him just for that reason.

All her woman's tricks she would know useless to move him.