ABSTRACT
With her head bent down at work, her chin formed a pretty double, and her hands-he was very particular about her hands-were so small, with fingers so tapering, that he would have wagered a sovereign Houbigant's "s ixes" were too large for her. He made up his mind that she was the prettiest girl in the world, and declared it was a disgrace she should have to work so hard, thereby meaning that she was worthy to live in idle shame. Once he was heard to say that, if he could only be satisfied her parents were respectable, decent people, and pretty well off, he really believed he should feel half inclined to marry her.
