This was deplorable. The only way out of it that Ernest could see
was that he should get married at once. But then he did not know
anyone whom he wanted to marry. He did not know any woman, in fact,
whom he would not rather die than marry. It had been one of Theobald's
and Christina's main objects to keep him out of the way of women,
and they had so far succeeded that women had become to him mysterious,
inscrutable objects to be tolerated when it was impossible to avoid
them, but never to be sought out or encouraged. As for any man loving,
or even being at all fond of any woman, he supposed it was so, but
he believed the greater number of those who professed such
sentiments were liars. Now, however, it was clear that he had hoped
against hope too long, and that the only thing to do was to go and ask
the first woman who would listen to him to come and be married to
him as soon as possible.
He broached this to Pryer, and was surprised to find that this
gentleman, though attentive to such members of his flock as were young
and good-looking, was strongly in favour of the celibacy of the
clergy, as indeed were the other demure young clerics to whom Pryer
had introduced Ernest.
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