From this point of view Mr. Wilkins was simply ideal; he was unique and
precious. Whenever she thought of him, and was perhaps inclined to
dwell on the aspects of him that were a little boring, she remembered
this and murmured, "But what a treasure."
Indeed it was Mr. Wilkins's one aim during his stay at San
Salvatore to be a treasure. At all costs the three ladies who were not
his wife must like him and trust him. Then presently when trouble
arose in their lives--and in what lives did not trouble sooner or later
arise?--they would recollect how reliable he was and how sympathetic,
and turn to him for advice. Ladies with something on their minds were
exactly what he wanted. Lady Caroline, he judged, had nothing on hers
at the moment, but so much beauty--for he could not but see what was
evident--must have had its difficulties in the past and would have more
of them before it had done. In the past he had not been at hand; in
the future he hoped to be. And meanwhile the behaviour of Mrs. Fisher,
the next in importance of the ladies from the professional point of
view, showed definite promise. It was almost certain that Mrs. Fisher
had something on her mind. He had been observing her attentively, and
it was almost certain.
With the third, with Mrs.
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