If I called her the false Duessa it was because I wanted to express my sense of the difference between her and Molly as strongly as I could.You must allow for a lover's exaggeration.Besides, all I wanted to say was, - Do you think that Molly, after seeing and knowing that I had loved a person so inferior to herself, could ever be brought to listen to me?' 'I don't know.I can't tell.And even if I could, I would not.Only if it's any comfort to you, I may say what my experience has taught me.Women are queer, unreasoning creatures, and are just as likely as not to love a man who has been throwing away his affection.' 'Thank you, sir!' said Roger, interrupting him.'I see you mean to give me encouragement.And I had resolved never to give Molly a hint of what I felt till I returned, - and then to try and win her by every means in my power.I determined not to repeat the former scene in the former place, - in your drawing-room, - however I might be tempted.And perhaps, after all, she avoided me when she was here last.' 'Now, Roger, I've listened to you long enough.If you've nothing better to do with your time than to talk about my daughter, I have.When you come back it will be time enough to enquire how far your father would approve of such an engagement.' 'He himself urged it upon me the other day - but then I was in despair - I thought it was too late.' 'And what means you are likely to have of maintaining a wife, - I always thought that point was passed too lightly over when you formed your hurried engagement to Cynthia.I'm not mercenary, - Molly has some money independently of me, - that she by the way knows nothing of, - not much; - and I can allow her something.But all these things must be left till your return.' 'Then you sanction my attachment?' 'I don't know what you mean by sanctioning it.I can't help it.I suppose losing one's daughter is a necessary evil.Still,' - seeing the disappointed expression on Roger's face - 'it is but fair to you to say I'd rather give my child, - my only child, remember! - to you, than to any man in the world!' 'Thank you!' said Roger, shaking hands with Mr Gibson, almost against the will of the latter.'And I may see her, just once, before I go?' 'Decidedly not.There I come in as doctor as well as father.No!' 'But you will take a message, at any rate?' 'To my wife and to her conjointly.I will not separate them.I will not in the slightest way be a go-between.' 'Very well,' said Roger.'Tell them both as strongly as you can how I regret your prohibition.I see I must submit.But if I don't come back, I'll haunt you for having been so cruel.' 'Come, I like that.Give me a wise man of science in love! No one beats him in folly.Good-by.' 'Good-by, You will see Molly this afternoon!' 'To be sure.And you will see your father.But I don't heave such portentous sighs at the thought.' Mr Gibson gave Roger's message to his wife and to Molly that evening at dinner.It was but what the latter had expected, after all her father had said of the very great danger of infection; but now that her expectation came in the shape of a final decision, it took away her appetite.She submitted in silence; but her observant father noticed that after this speech of his, she only played with the food on her plate, and concealed a good deal of it under her knife and fork.'Lover versus father!' thought he, half sadly.'Lover wins.' And he, too, became indifferent to all that remained of his dinner.Mrs Gibson pattered on; and nobody listened.The day of Roger's departure came.Molly tried hard to forget it in working away at a cushion she was preparing as a present to Cynthia; people did worsted-work in those days.One, two, three.One, two, three, four, five, six, seven; all wrong; she was thinking of something else, and had to unpick it.It was a rainy day, too; and Mrs Gibson, who had planned to go out and pay some calls, had to stay indoors.This made her restless and fidgety.
She kept going backwards and forwards to different windows in the drawing-room to look at the weather, as if she imagined that while it rained at one window, it might be fine weather at another.'Molly - come here! who is that man wrapped up in a cloak, - there, - near the Park wall, under the beech-tree - he has been there this half-hour and more, never stirring, and looking at this house all the time! I think it's very suspicious.' Molly looked, and in an instant recognized Roger under all his wraps.Her first instinct was to draw back.The next to come forwards, and say, -'Why, mamma, it's Roger Hamley! Look now - he's kissing his hand; he's wishing us good-by in the only way he can!' And she responded to his sign;but she was not sure if he perceived her modest quiet movement, for Mrs Gibson became immediately so demonstrative that Molly fancied that her eager foolish pantomimic motions must absorb all his attention.'I call this so attentive of him,' said Mrs Gibson, in the midst of a volley of kisses of her hand.'Really it is quite romantic.It reminds me of former days - but he will be too late! I must send him away; it is half-past twelve!'
