"Have you not met a gentleman who deserves you?"

Anna's eyes flashed in a gentle anger. I took mental note of the expression, as I knew that anything I saw on her face might easily appear on my own. She is my junior by some year and a half but we have always been remarked upon as very much alike. Whilst I am not tall compared to other men, she is taller than many women: together we are almost of a height, with some advantage to me. We share hazelnut hair and sea-green eyes too, set in similar faces.

"I am not sure I have met a gentleman at all," she countered. "Just bores, for the most part. I was at a reception two nights ago where the most elderly bachelor was sat by me. He behaved outrageously. I had to rely on your friend, Hooper, to get me out and away from him!"

"Hooper?" I asked in surprise. "Oscar Hooper's in London? I thought he had gone to Heidelberg to seek the mentorship of some retired judge?"

Anna enlightened me: my dear friend Oscar, who had gone from our village some years hence, had been studying law at the University of London. Whilst he had been bound for Germany, he had received news of his anticipated sponsor's **** before he could leave England.