The Project Gutenberg Etext of Lord Ormont and his Aminta, v5
by George Meredith
#87 in our series by George Meredith

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Title: Lord Ormont and his Aminta, v5

Author: George Meredith

Edition: 10

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

Release Date: September, 2003 [Etext #4481]
[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
[This file was first posted on February 25, 2002]


The Project Gutenberg Etext Lord Ormont and his Aminta, v5, by Meredith
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LORD ORMONT AND HIS AMINTA

By George Meredith



BOOK 5.

XXIV.     LOVERS MATED
XXXV.     PREPARATIONS FOR A RESOLVE
XXVI.     VISITS OF FAREWELL
XXVII.    A MARINE DUET
XXVIII.   THE PLIGHTING
XXIX.     AMINTA TO HER LORD
XXX.      CONCLUSION



CHAPTER XXIV

LOVERS MATED

He was benevolently martial, to the extent of paternal, in thinking his
girl, of whom he deigned to think now as his countess, pardonably
foolish.  Woman for woman, she was of a pattern superior to the world's
ordinary, and might run the world's elect a race.  But she was pitifully
woman-like in her increase of dissatisfaction with the more she got.
Women are happier enslaved.  Men, too, if their despot is an Ormont.
Colonel of his regiment, he proved that: his men would follow him
anywhere, do anything.  Grand old days, before he was condemned by one
knows not what extraordinary round of circumstances to cogitate on women
as fluids, and how to cut channels for them, that they may course along
in the direction good for them, imagining it their pretty wanton will to
go that way!  Napoleon's treatment of women is excellent example.
Peterborough's can be defended.

His Aminta could not reason.  She nursed a rancour on account of the blow
she drew on herself at Steignton, and she declined consolation in her
being pardoned.  The reconcilement evidently was proposed as a finale of
one of the detestable feminine storms enveloping men weak enough to let
themselves be dragged through a scene for the sake of domestic
tranquillity.

A remarkable exhibition of Aminta the woman was, her entire change of
front since he had taken her spousal chill.  Formerly she was passive,
merely stately, the chiselled grande dame, deferential in her bearing
and speech, even when argumentative and having an opinion to plant.
She had always the independent eye and step; she now had the tongue of
the graceful and native great lady, fitted to rule her circle and hold
her place beside the proudest of the Ormonts.  She bore well the small
shuffle with her jewel-box--held herself gallantly.  There had been no
female feignings either, affected misapprehensions, gapy ignorances, and
snaky subterfuges, and the like, familiar to men who have the gentle
twister in grip.  Straight on the line of the thing to be seen she flew,
