There was present among the guests a certain Honourable Charles
Glascock, the eldest son of Lord Peterborough, who made the affair
more interesting to Nora than it was to her sister. It had been
whispered into Nora's ears, by more than one person and among others
by Lady Milborough, whose own daughters were all married, that she
might if she thought fit become the Honourable Mrs Charles Glascock.
Now, whether she might think fit, or whether she might not, the
presence of the gentleman under such circumstances, as far as she
was concerned, gave an interest to the evening. And as Lady Milborough
took care that Mr Glascock should take Nora down to dinner, the
interest was very great. Mr Glascock was a good-looking man, just
under forty, in Parliament, heir to a peerage, and known to be
well off in respect to income. Lady Milborough and Mrs Trevelyan
had told Nora Rowley that should encouragement in that direction
come in her way, she ought to allow herself to fall in love with
Mr Glascock. A certain amount of encouragement had come in her
way, but she had not as yet allowed herself to fall in love with
Mr Glascock.

It seemed to her that Mr Glascock was quite conscious of the
advantages of his own position, and that his powers of talking about
other matters than those with which he was immediately connected
were limited. She did believe that he had in truth paid her the
compliment of falling in love with her, and this is a compliment
to which few girls are indifferent. Nora might perhaps have tried
to fall in love with Mr Glascock, had she not been forced to make
comparisons between him and another. This other one had not fallen in
love with her, as she well knew; and she certainly had not fallen
in love with him. But still the comparison was forced upon her, and