It must have astonished a practical woman like my great-grandmother to find how completely it satisfied him.

But there must have been a time when his helplessness and impracticability tried her in many ways, before she fairly came to realize that he never could be changed, and her love fell in with his humours.

On this point he was humoured completely, and never inquired on what business his deceased Majesty of France required the attendance of the Duchess that should have been! To do him justice, if he was a helpless he was a very tender husband.
"He has never said a rude or unkind word to me since we were boy and girl together," said the little old lady, with tears in her eyes.

And indeed, courtesy implies self-discipline; and even now the old man's politeness checked his petulance over and over again.

He never gave up the habit of gathering flowers for my grandmother, and such exquisite contrasts of colour I never saw combined by any other hand.