'Even if a woman's beauty did not
depend for its existence upon the eyes that look upon it, I should
want to give more to my hero than love and beauty. I should want to
give him help in the battle of life, Henry. I should want to buckle
on his armour, and sharpen the point of his lance, and whet the edge
of his sword; a rich man's armour is bank-notes, and Winnie knows
nothing of such paper. His spear, I am told, is a bullion bar, and
Winnie's fingers scarcely know the touch of gold.'
'Then you agree, Winnie, with these strange views of your aunt?'
'I do partly agree with them now. Ever since I saw you to-day in the
churchyard I have partly agreed with them.'
'And why?'
'Because already prosperity or bodily vigour or something has changed
your eyes and changed the tone of your voice.'
'You mean that my eyes are no longer so full of trouble; and as to my
voice--how should my voice not change, seeing that it was the voice
of a child when you last listened to it?'
'It is impossible for me even now, after I have thought about it so
much, to put into words that expression in your eyes which won me as
a child.
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