If Mr. Boarham is indeed sensible and respectable, he is also condescending and deluded. He underestimates Helen’s resolve, and, by promising to love her like a father, indicates how their marriage would proceed: the power and authority would all be on his side and she, as his daughter figure, would have to acquiesce. It’s obvious what attracted Boarham: Helen’s beauty. It’s somewhat strange, then, that Mrs. Maxwell would approve the match, considering the warning she gave Helen earlier about engaging herself based on looks alone.