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Article FATHER AND SON. ← Page 15 of 30 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Father And Son.
" What can I think ? " said the lady rallying ; " save that he is a good , sensible , amiable old gentleman , who sees the affair in a most rational light , and who Avill be as happy as the day is long Avhen I am mistress of The Grange . " " You persist , then , in your purpose ?" " Did you ever know me guilty of the weakness of
A'acillation Avhere a great principle Avas to be worked out ?" " A great principle ! " echoed Mr . Crawford , in an accent through Avhich penetrated a slight shade of disgust . " Certainly . You cannot for one moment imagine that my admiration for the fine person , or my appreciation of the amiability of Mr . Sydney Leicesterhas blinded me to the fact that
, he possesses neither vigour nor energy of character , —that he is totally wanting in moral courage , —and , haAing every reason to place faith in my veracity , you Avill understand me Avhen I add , that I soon discovered this vacillation and absence of
selfreliance to be an hereditary defect ; even more evident , perhaps , in the father than the son . Why , my good sir , I appeal to yourself , both as a man of business and a man of the world , does not the letter Avhich you UOAV hold in your hand convince you that I have acted judiciously ?" " Caroline , you terrify me ! " said her guardian . " This is not
the feeling with Avhich to enter upon so important a step as marriage . If you really feel so little respect for the moral attributes of Mr . Sydney Leicester as you Avould lead me to suppose , I conjure you to terminate your engagement at once ; for believe me Avhen I assure you that you must , by uniting your fate with that of a man Avhom you consider as
your infei'ior , insure your OAvn misery . Marriage may reconcile a woman to every feeling toAvards her husband save one , —and that one is contempt . Hope for no change Avhere it exists , for it is like rust—the longer it lasts , the more deeply it eats into the spirit , and the more indelible become its traces . "
" Contempt ! " said the beauty scornfully ; " why should you infer that I entertain anything approaching to contempt for my affianced husband ? Have you forgotten that he is the bon parti of the county ?—the trump card ?—the highest throw on the dice ?—and that , until he is safely married , shire will not recover its composure ? It is Avith a very different feeling , I
can assure you in my turn , that I shall become Mrs . Sydney Leicester ; Avhile you may , moreover , rest satisfied that I shall prove precisely the description of Avife the best suited to his peculiar disposition . " " All further interference on my part is , under these circumstances , superfluous , " replied Mr . CraAvford with evident dis-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Father And Son.
" What can I think ? " said the lady rallying ; " save that he is a good , sensible , amiable old gentleman , who sees the affair in a most rational light , and who Avill be as happy as the day is long Avhen I am mistress of The Grange . " " You persist , then , in your purpose ?" " Did you ever know me guilty of the weakness of
A'acillation Avhere a great principle Avas to be worked out ?" " A great principle ! " echoed Mr . Crawford , in an accent through Avhich penetrated a slight shade of disgust . " Certainly . You cannot for one moment imagine that my admiration for the fine person , or my appreciation of the amiability of Mr . Sydney Leicesterhas blinded me to the fact that
, he possesses neither vigour nor energy of character , —that he is totally wanting in moral courage , —and , haAing every reason to place faith in my veracity , you Avill understand me Avhen I add , that I soon discovered this vacillation and absence of
selfreliance to be an hereditary defect ; even more evident , perhaps , in the father than the son . Why , my good sir , I appeal to yourself , both as a man of business and a man of the world , does not the letter Avhich you UOAV hold in your hand convince you that I have acted judiciously ?" " Caroline , you terrify me ! " said her guardian . " This is not
the feeling with Avhich to enter upon so important a step as marriage . If you really feel so little respect for the moral attributes of Mr . Sydney Leicester as you Avould lead me to suppose , I conjure you to terminate your engagement at once ; for believe me Avhen I assure you that you must , by uniting your fate with that of a man Avhom you consider as
your infei'ior , insure your OAvn misery . Marriage may reconcile a woman to every feeling toAvards her husband save one , —and that one is contempt . Hope for no change Avhere it exists , for it is like rust—the longer it lasts , the more deeply it eats into the spirit , and the more indelible become its traces . "
" Contempt ! " said the beauty scornfully ; " why should you infer that I entertain anything approaching to contempt for my affianced husband ? Have you forgotten that he is the bon parti of the county ?—the trump card ?—the highest throw on the dice ?—and that , until he is safely married , shire will not recover its composure ? It is Avith a very different feeling , I
can assure you in my turn , that I shall become Mrs . Sydney Leicester ; Avhile you may , moreover , rest satisfied that I shall prove precisely the description of Avife the best suited to his peculiar disposition . " " All further interference on my part is , under these circumstances , superfluous , " replied Mr . CraAvford with evident dis-