This　afternoon　however　she　foresaw　complications。　　At　the　very　outset
  for　instance　she　was　not　pleased　with　his　having　arranged　such　a
  surprise　for　her　with　her　grandmother　and　her　aunt。　　It　was　probably
  aunt　Julia　who　had　sent　for　him；　her　grandmother　wouldn't　have　done
  it。　　It　placed　him　immediately　on　their　side；　and　Rose　was　almost　as
  disappointed　at　this　as　if　she　had　not　known　it　was　quite　where　he
  would　naturally　be。　　He　had　never　paid　her　a　special　visit；　but　if
  that　was　what　he　wished　to　do　why　shouldn't　he　have　waited　till　she
  should　be　under　her　mother's　roof？　　She　knew　the　reason；　but　she　had
  an　angry　prospect　of　enjoyment　in　making　him　express　it。　　She　liked
  him　enough；　after　all；　if　it　were　measured　by　the　idea　of　what　she
  could　make　him　do。
  In　Bertram　Jay　the　elements　were　surprisingly　mingled；　you　would　have
  gone　astray；　in　reading　him；　if　you　had　counted　on　finding　the
  complements　of　some　of　his　qualities。　　He　would　not　however　have
  struck　you　in　the　least　as　incomplete；　for　in　every　case　in　which　you
  didn't　find　the　complement　you　would　have　found　the　contradiction。
  He　was　in　the　Royal　Engineers；　and　was　tall；　lean　and　high…
  shouldered。　　He　looked　every　inch　a　soldier；　yet　there　were　people
  who　considered　that　he　had　missed　his　vocation　in　not　becoming　a
  parson。　　He　took　a　public　interest　in　the　spiritual　life　of　the　army。
  Other　persons　still；　on　closer　observation；　would　have　felt　that　his
  most　appropriate　field　was　neither　the　army　nor　the　church；　but
  simply　the　worldthe　social；　successful；　worldly　world。　　If　he　had　a
  sword　in　one　hand　and　a　Bible　in　the　other　he　had　a　Court　Guide
  concealed　somewhere　about　his　person。　　His　profile　was　hard　and
  handsome；　his　eyes　were　both　cold　and　kind；　his　dark　straight　hair
  was　imperturbably　smooth　and　prematurely　streaked　with　grey。　　There
  was　nothing　in　existence　that　he　didn't　take　seriously。　　He　had　a
  first…rate　power　of　work　and　an　ambition　as　minutely　organised　as　a
  German　plan　of　invasion。　　His　only　real　recreation　was　to　go　to
  church；　but　he　went　to　parties　when　he　had　time。　　If　he　was　in　love
  with　Rose　Tramore　this　was　distracting　to　him　only　in　the　same　sense
  as　his　religion；　and　it　was　included　in　that　department　of　his
  extremely　sub…divided　life。　　His　religion　indeed　was　of　an
  encroaching；　annexing　sort。　　Seen　from　in　front　he　looked　diffident
  and　blank；　but　he　was　capable　of　exposing　himself　in　a　way　（to　speak
  only　of　the　paths　of　peace）　wholly　inconsistent　with　shyness。　　He　had
  a　passion　for　instance　for　open…air　speaking；　but　was　not　thought　on
  the　whole　to　excel　in　it　unless　he　could　help　himself　out　with　a
  hymn。　　In　conversation　he　kept　his　eyes　on　you　with　a　kind　of
  colourless　candour；　as　if　he　had　not　understood　what　you　were　saying
  and；　in　a　fashion　that　made　many　people　turn　red；　waited　before
  answering。　　This　was　only　because　he　was　considering　their　remarks　in
  more　relations　than　they　had　intended。　　He　had　in　his　face　no
  expression　whatever　save　the　one　just　mentioned；　and　was；　in　his
  profession；　already　very　distinguished。
  He　had　seen　Rose　Tramore　for　the　first　time　on　a　Sunday　of　the
  previous　March；　at　a　house　in　the　country　at　which　she　was　staying
  with　her　father；　and　five　weeks　later　he　had　made　her；　by　letter；　an
  offer　of　marriage。　　She　showed　her　father　the　letter　of　course；　and
  he　told　her　that　it　would　give　him　great　pleasure　that　she　should
  send　Captain　Jay　about　his　business。　　〃My　dear　child；〃　he　said；　〃we
  must　really　have　some　one　who　will　be　better　fun　than　that。〃　　Rose
  had　declined　the　honour；　very　considerately　and　kindly；　but　not
  simply　because　her　father　wished　it。　　She　didn't　herself　wish　to
  detach　this　flower　from　the　stem；　though　when　the　young　man　wrote
  again；　to　express　the　hope　that　he　MIGHT　hopeso　long　was　he　willing
  to　waitand　ask　if　he　might　not　still　sometimes　see　her；　she
  answered　even　more　indulgently　than　at　first。　　She　had　shown　her
  father　her　former　letter；　but　she　didn't　show　him　this　one；　she　only
  told　him　what　it　contained；　submitting　to　him　also　that　of　her
  correspondent。　　Captain　Jay　moreover　wrote　to　Mr。　Tramore；　who
  replied　sociably；　but　so　vaguely　that　he　almost　neglected　the　subject
  under　discussiona　communication　that　made　poor　Bertram　ponder　long。
  He　could　never　get　to　the　bottom　of　the　superficial；　and　all　the
  proprieties　and　conventions　of　life　were　profound　to　him。
  Fortunately　for　him　old　Mrs。　Tramore　liked　him；　he　was　satisfactory
  to　her　long…sightedness；　so　that　a　relation　was　established　under
  cover　of　which　he　still　occasionally　presented　himself　in　Hill
  Streetpresented　himself　nominally　to　the　mistress　of　the　house。　　He
  had　had　scruples　about　the　veracity　of　his　visits；　but　he　had
  disposed　of　them；　he　had　scruples　about　so　many　things　that　he　had
  had　to　invent　a　general　way；　to　dig　a　central　drain。　　Julia　Tramore
  happened　to　meet　him　when　she　came　up　to　town；　and　she　took　a　view　of
  him　more　benevolent　than　her　usual　estimate　of　people　encouraged　by
  her　mother。　　The　fear　of　agreeing　with　that　lady　was　a　motive；　but
  there　was　a　stronger　one；　in　this　particular　case；　in　the　fear　of
  agreeing　with　her　niece；　who　had　rejected　him。　　His　situation　might
  be　held　to　have　improved　when　Mr。　Tramore　was　taken　so　gravely　ill
  that　with　regard　to　his　recovery　those　about　him　left　their　eyes　to
  speak　for　their　lips；　and　in　the　light　of　the　poor　gentleman's　recent
  death　it　was　doubtless　better　than　it　had　ever　been。
  He　was　only　a　quarter　of　an　hour　with　the　girl；　but　this　gave　him
  time　to　take　the　measure　of　it。　　After　he　had　spoken　to　her　about　her
  bereavement；　very　much　as　an　especially　mild　missionary　might　have
  spoken　to　a　beautiful　Polynesian；　he　let　her　know　that　he　had　learned
  from　her　companions　the　very　strong　step　she　was　about　to　take。　　This
  led　to　their　spending　together　ten　minutes　which；　to　her　mind；　threw
  more　light　on　his　character　than　anything　that　had　ever　passed
  between　them。　　She　had　always　felt　with　him　as　if　she　were　standing
  on　an　edge；　looking　down　into　something　decidedly　deep。　　To…day　the
  impression　of　the　perpendicular　shaft　was　there；　but　it　was　rather　an
  abyss　of　confusion　and　disorder　than　the　large　bright　space　in　which
  she　had　figured　everything　as　ranged　and　pigeon…holed；　presenting　the
  appearance　of　the　labelled　shelves　and　drawers　at　a　chemist's。　　He
  discussed　without　an　invitation　to　discuss；　he　appealed　without　a
  right　to　appeal。　　He　was　nothing　but　a　suitor　tolerated　after
  dismissal；　but　he　took　strangely　for　granted　a　participation　in　her
  affairs。　　He　assumed　all　sorts　of　things　that　made　her　draw　back。　　He
  implied　that　there　was　everything　now　to　assist　them　in　arriving　at
  an　agreement；　since　she　had　never　informed　him　that　he　was　positively
  objectionable；　but　that　this　symmetry　would　be　spoiled　if　she　should
  not　be　willing　to　take　a　little　longer　to　think　of　certain
  consequences。　　She　was　greatly　disconcerted　when　she　saw　what
  consequences　he　meant　and　at　his　reminding　her　of　them。　　What　on
  earth　was　the　use　of　a　lover　if　he　was　to　speak　only　like　one's
  grandmother　and　one's　aunt？　　He　struck　her　as　much　in　love　with　her
  and　as　particularly　careful　at　the　same　time　as　to　what　he　might　say。
  He　never　mentioned　her　mother；　he　only　alluded；　indirectly　but
  earnestly；　to　the　〃step。〃　　He　disapproved　of　it　altogether；　took　an
  unexpectedly　prudent；　politic　view　of　it。　　He　evidently　also　believed
  that　she　would　be　dragged　down；　in　other　words　that　she　would　not　be
  asked　out。　　It　was　his　idea　that　her　mother　would　contaminate　her；　so
  that　he　should　find　himself　interested　in　a　young　person　discredited
  and　virtually　unmarriageable。　　All　this　was　more　obvious　to　him　than
  the　consideration　that　a　daughter　should　be　merciful。　　Where　was　his
  religion　if　he　understood　mercy　so　little；　and　where　were　his　talent
  and　his　courage　if　he　were　so　miserably　afraid　of　trumpery　social
  penalties？　　Rose's　heart　sank　when　she　reflected　that　a　man　supposed
  to　be　first…rate　hadn't　guessed　that　rather　than　not　do　what　she
  could　for　her　mother　she　would　give　up　all　the　Engineers　in　the
  world。　　She　became　aware　that　she　probably　would　have　been　moved　to
  place　her　hand　in　his　on　the　spot　if　he　had　come　to　her　saying　〃Your
  idea　is　the　right　one；　put　it　through　at　every　cost。〃　　She　couldn't
  discuss　this　with　him；　though　he　impressed　her　as　having　too　much　at
  stake　for　her　to　treat　him　with　mere　disdain。　　She　sickened　at　the
  revelation　that　a　gentleman　could　see　so　much　in　mere　vulgarities　of
  opinion；　and　though　she　uttered　as　few　words　as　possible；　conversing
  only　in　sad　smiles　and　headshakes　and　in　intercepted　movements　toward
  the　door；　she　happened；　in　some　unguarded　lapse　from　her　reticence；
  to　use　the　expression　that　she　was　disappointed　in　him。　　He　caught　at
  it　and；　seeming　to　drop　his　field…glass；　pressed　upon　her　with
  nearer；　tenderer　eyes。
  〃Can　I　be　so　happy　as　to　believe；　then；　that　you　had　thought　of　me
  with　some　confidence；　with　some　faith？〃
  〃If　you　didn't　suppose　so；　what　is　the　sense　of　this　visit？〃　Rose
  asked。
  〃One　can　be　faithful　without　reciprocity；〃　said　the　young　man。　　〃I
  regard　you　in　a　light　which　makes　me　want　to　protect　you　even　if　I
  have　nothing　to　gain