In suppressed hysterics, it is admitted, even by the doctors,
that one must hold something.
"Yes," he said, with all the fascination of his evangelical voice and
manner, "you are a noble creature! A woman who can speak the truth, for
the truth's own sake--a woman who will sacrifice her pride, rather than
sacrifice an honest man who loves her--is the most priceless of all
treasures. When such a woman marries, if her husband only wins her
esteem and regard, he wins enough to ennoble his whole life. You have
spoken, dearest, of your place in my estimation. Judge what that place
is--when I implore you on my knees, to let the cure of your poor wounded
heart be my care. Rachel! will you honour me, will you bless me, by
being my wife?"
By this time I should certainly have decided on stopping my ears, if
Rachel had not encouraged me to keep them open, by answering him in the
first sensible words I had ever heard fall from her lips.
"Godfrey!" she said, "you must be mad!"
"I never spoke more reasonably, dearest--in your interests, as well
as in mine. Look for a moment to the future. Is your happiness to be
sacrificed to a man who has never known how you feel towards him,
and whom you are resolved never to see again? Is it not your duty to
yourself to forget this ill-fated attachment? and is forgetfulness to be
found in the life you are leading now? You have tried that life, and you
are wearying of it already.
Pages:
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462