Moreover, she was
clever and well read, and pretended to be intellectually and poetically
inclined, as ladies not specially favoured by Apollo sometimes
do--before they marry. Cold she always was; nobody ever heard of Lady
Honoria stretching the bounds of propriety; but Geoffrey put this down
to a sweet and becoming modesty, which would vanish or be transmuted
in its season. Also she affected a charming innocence of all vulgar
business matters, which both deceived and enchanted him. Never but once
did she allude to ways and means before marriage, and then it was to say
that she was glad that they should be so poor till dear Sir Robert died
(he had promised to allow them fifteen hundred a year, and they had
seven more between them), as this would enable them to see so much more
of each other.
At last came the happy day, and this white virgin soul passed into
Geoffrey's keeping. For a week or so things went fairly well, and then
disenchantment began. He learned by slow but sure degrees that his wife
was vain, selfish and extravagant, and, worst of all, that she cared
very little about him.
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