To amuse herself, she began to squander
money; and her aversion for her lover increased at the same rate as her
ambition and his sacrifices. She rendered him the most miserable of men,
and treated him like a dog; and this not from any natural badness of
disposition, but from principle. She was persuaded that a woman is
beloved in proportion to the trouble she causes and the mischief she
does.
Juliette was not wicked, and she believed she had much to complain of.
The dream of her life was to be loved in a way which she felt, but could
scarcely have explained. She had never been to her lovers more than a
plaything. She understood this; and, as she was naturally proud, the
idea enraged her. She dreamed of a man who would be devoted enough to
make a real sacrifice for her, a lover who would descend to her level,
instead of attempting to raise her to his. She despaired of ever meeting
such a one. Noel's extravagance left her as cold as ice. She believed he
was very rich, and singularly, in spite of her greediness, she did
not care much for money. Noel would have won her easier by a brutal
frankness that would have shown her clearly his situation.
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