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He never for a moment thought of being false to Miss
Stanbury, the elder. Falseness of that nature would have been ruinous
to him, would have made him a marked man in the city all his days, and
would probably have reached even to the bishop's ears. He was neither
bad enough, nor audacious enough, nor foolish enough, for such perjury
as that. And, moreover, though the wiles of Arabella had been potent
with him, he very much preferred Dorothy Stanbury. Seven years of
flirtation with a young lady is more trying to the affection than any
duration of matrimony. Arabella had managed to awaken something of the
old glow, but Mr Gibson, as soon as he was alone, turned from her
mentally in disgust. No! Whatever little trouble there might be in his
way, it was clearly his duty to marry Dorothy Stanbury. She had the
sweetest temper in the world, and blushed with the prettiest blush! She
would have, moreover, two thousand pounds on the day she married, and
there was no saying what other and greater pecuniary advantages might
follow.


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