Ifhehadmarriedme，Ishouldhavemadehiscigarettes，ashiswifedoes——Ishouldhaveheldmytonguewhenhelookedatme，assheholdshers。
Iamalmostafraidtoconfessit。eventothesesecretpages。Themanhasinterestedme，hasattractedme，hasforcedmetolikehimIntwoshortdayshehasmadehiswaystraightintomyfavourableestimation，andhowhehasworkedthemiracleismorethanIcantell。
Itabsolutelystartlesme，nowheisinmymind，tofindhowplainlyIseehim！——howmuchmoreplainlythanIseeSirPercival，orMrFairlie，orWalterHartright，oranyotherabsentpersonofwhomIthink，withtheoneexceptionofLauraherself！Icanhearhisvoice，asifhewasspeakingatthismoment。Iknowwhathisconversationwasyesterday，aswellasifIwashearingitnow。HowamItodescribehim？Therearepeculiaritiesinhispersonalappearance，hishabits。andhisamusements，whichIshouldblameintheboldestterms，orridiculeinthemostmercilessmanner，ifIhadseentheminanotherman。Whatisitthatmakesmeunabletoblamethem，ortoridiculetheminhim？
Forexample，heisimmenselyfat。BeforethistimeIhavealwaysespeciallydislikedcorpulenthumanity。Ihavealwaysmaintainedthatthepopularnotionofconnectingexcessivegrossnessofsizeandexcessivegood-humourasinseparableallieswasequivalenttodeclaring，eitherthatnopeoplebutamiablepeopleevergetfat，orthattheaccidentaladditionofsomanypoundsoffleshhasadirectlyfavourableinfluenceoverthedispositionofthepersononwhosebodytheyaccumulate。Ihaveinvariablycombatedboththeseabsurdassertionsbyquotingexamplesoffatpeoplewhowereasmean，vicious，andcruelastheleanestandtheworstoftheirneighbours。
IhaveaskedwhetherHenrytheEighthwasanamiablycharacter？WhetherPopeAlexandertheSixthwasagoodman？WhetherMrMurdererandMrsMurderessManningwerenotbothunusuallystoutpeople？Whetherhirednurses，proverbiallyascruelasetofwomenasaretohefoundinallEngland，werenot，forthemostpart，alsoasfatasetofwomenasaretobefoundinallEngland？——