Ellen's were not about Stephen Whitelaw's financial condition, but they
were very sad ones. She had received a letter from Frank Randall since
her marriage; a most bitter letter, upbraiding her for her falsehood and
desertion, and accusing her of being actuated by mercenary motives in her
marriage with Stephen Whitelaw.
"How often have I heard you express your detestation of that fellow!" the
young man wrote indignantly. "How often have I heard you declare that no
earthly persuasion should ever induce you to marry him! And yet before my
back has been turned six months, I hear that you are his wife. Without a
word of warning, without a line of explanation to soften the blow--if
anything could soften it--the news comes to me, from a stranger who knew
nothing of my love for you. It is very hard, Ellen; all the harder
because I had so fully trusted in your fidelity."
"I will own that the prospect I had to offer you was a poor one;
involving long delay before I could give you such a home as I wanted to
give you; but O, Nelly, Nelly, I felt so sure that you would be true to
me! And if you found yourself in any difficulty, worried beyond your
power of resistance by your father--though I did not think you were the
kind of girl to yield weakly to persuasion--a line from you would have
brought me to your side, ready to defend you from any persecution, and
only too proud to claim you for my wife, and carry you away from your
father's unkindness.
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