Mrs.Lee never doubted that she could make Carrington fall in love with Sybil provided she could place herself beyond his reach.

At all events, come what might, even though she had to accept the desperate alternative offered by Mr.Ratcliffe, nothing should be allowed to interfere with Sybil's happiness.

And thus it was, that, for the first time, Mrs.Lee began to ask herself whether it was not better to find the solution of her perplexities in marriage.
Would she ever have been brought to this point without the violent pressure of her sister's supposed interests?
This is one of those questions which wise men will not ask, because it is one which the wisest man or woman cannot answer.

Upon this theme, an army of ingenious authors have exhausted their ingenuity in entertaining the public, and their works are to be found at every book-stall.

They have decided that any woman will, under the right conditions, marry any man at any time, provided her "higher nature" is properly appealed to.