However, his arguments seemed at length to
have a calming effect, and, as he took leave, he even affected to
laugh at the whole affair. For all that, he had never suffered such
mental trouble in his life as during this visit and throughout the
evening which followed. The mere thought of having been obliged to
discuss such things with his cousin filled him with inexpressible
shame and misery. Waymark came to spend the evening with him, but
found poor entertainment. Several times Julian was on the point of
relating what had happened, and asking for advice, but he found it
impossible to broach the subject. There was an ever-recurring anger
against Harriet in his mind, too, for which at the same time he
reproached himself. He dreaded the next meeting between them.
Harriet, though herself quite innocent of fine feeling and nice
complexities of conscience, was well aware of the existence of such
properties in her cousin. She neither admired nor despised him for
possessing them; they were of unknown value, indifferent to her,
indeed, until she became aware of the practical use that might be
made of them. Like most narrow-minded girls, she became a shrewd
reader of character, when her affections and interests were
concerned, and could calculate Julian's motives, and the course
wherein they would lead him, with much precision.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206