The honour and glory of having a lover of her own was soon to fall
to Molly's share; though, to be sure, it was a little deduction from
the honour that the man who came with the full intention of proposing
to her, ended by making Cynthia an offer. It was Mr. Coxe, who came
back to Hollingford to follow out the purpose he had announced to Mr.
Gibson nearly two years before, of inducing Molly to become his wife
as soon as he should have succeeded to his uncle's estate. He was now
a rich, though still a red-haired, young man. He came to the George
Inn, bringing his horses and his groom; not that he was going to ride
much, but that he thought such outward signs of his riches might help
on his suit; and he was so justly modest in his estimation of himself
that he believed that he needed all extraneous aid. He piqued himself
on his constancy; and indeed, considering that he had been so much
restrained by his duty, his affection, and his expectations to his
crabbed old uncle, that he had not been able to go much into society,
and very rarely indeed into the company of young ladies, such
fidelity to Molly was very meritorious, at least in his own eyes. Mr.
Gibson too was touched by it, and made it a point of honour to give
him a fair field, all the time sincerely hoping that Molly would not
be such a goose as to lend a willing ear to a youth who could never
remember the difference between apophysis and epiphysis. He thought
it as well not to tell his wife more of Mr. Coxe's antecedents than
that he had been a former pupil; who had relinquished ("all that he
knew of," understood) the medical profession because an old uncle
had left him enough of money to be idle. Mrs. Gibson, who felt that
she had somehow lost her place in her husband's favour, took it into
her head that she could reinstate herself if she was successful
in finding a good match for his daughter Molly. She knew that her
husband had forbidden her to try for this end, as distinctly as
words could express a meaning; but her own words so seldom expressed
her meaning, or if they did, she held to her opinions so loosely,
that she had no idea but that it was the same with other people.
Accordingly she gave Mr. Coxe a very sweet and gracious welcome.
"It is such a pleasure to me to make acquaintance with the former
pupils of my husband. He has spoken to me so often of you that I
quite feel as if you were one of the family, as indeed I am sure that
Mr. Gibson considers you."