And he must feel that this marriage is a sort of--ahem! condescension on my part, which I never should have dreamed of twenty years ago." Selina sighed; could it be at the thought of that twenty years ago?
Perhaps, shallow as she seemed, this woman might once have had some fancy, some ideal man whom she expected to meet and marry; possibly a very different sort of man from Mr.Peter Ascott.

However, the sigh was but momentary; she plunged back again into all the arrangements of her wedding, every one of which, down to the wedding-dress, she had evidently decided.
"And therefore you see," she added, as it the unimportant, almost forgotten item of discussion had suddenly occurred to her, "it's quite impossible that my sister should keep a shop.

I shall tell Mr.
Ascott, and you will see what he says to it." But when Mr.Ascott appeared next day in solemn state as an accepted lover he seemed to care very little about the matter.

He thought it was a good thing for every body to be independent; did not see why young women--he begged pardon, young ladies--should not earn their own bread if they liked.

He only wished that the shop were a little further off than Kensington, and hoped the name of Leaf would not be put over the door.
But the bride-elect, indignant and annoyed, begged her lover to interfere, and prevent the scheme from being carried out.
"Don't vex yourself, my dear Selina," said he, dryly--how Hilary started to hear the stranger use the household name--"but I can't see that it's my business to interfere.