He had made up his mind that Sybil was a silly, frivolous girl, who counted for nothing in her sister's actions.

He had fallen into the usual masculine blunder of mixing up smartness of intelligence with strength of character.

Sybil, without being a metaphysician, willed anything which she willed at all with more energy than her sister did, who was worn out with the effort of life.

Mr.Ratcliffe missed this point, and was left to wonder who it was that had crossed his path, and how Carrington had managed to be present and absent, to get a good office in Mexico and to baulk his schemes in Washington, at the same time.

He had not given Carrington credit for so much cleverness.
He was violently irritated at the check.