he listened in fascinated astonishment to the elaboration of a world as full of subtle distinctions of grade and station as the one he had so recently left ; it was terrible to think that he might never know if gern overcame her father 's objections and won his intended , or if dil 's work on this job - on him - would allow him to aspire to the rank of exalted grand ninety-degree variance of the matron lodge of the guild of embalmers and allied trades .