I only said, 'Was it
right for a woman to marry, knowing that disgrace hung over her, and
keeping her lover in ignorance of it?'"
"That was all, you are sure?"
"Yes. He immediately applied the case to me--to ourselves."
"And he never wanted to know what was the nature of the threatened
disgrace?"
"Yes, he did."
"And you told him?"
"No, not a word more. He referred to the subject again to-day, in the
shrubbery; but I told him nothing more. You quite believe me, don't you,
papa?"
He pressed her to him, but did not speak. Then he took the note up
again, and read it with as much care and attention as he could collect in
his agitated state of mind.
"Nelly," said he, at length, "he says true; he is not good enough for
thee. He shrinks from the thought of the disgrace. Thou must stand
alone, and bear the sins of thy father."
He shook so much as he said this, that Ellinor had to put any suffering
of her own on one side, and try to confine her thoughts to the necessity
of getting her father immediately up to bed. She sat by him till he went
to sleep, and she could leave him, and go to her own room, to
forgetfulness and rest, if she could find those priceless blessings.
CHAPTER X.
Mr. Corbet was so well known at the Parsonage by the two old servants,
that he had no difficulty, on reaching it, after his departure from Ford
Bank, in having the spare bed-chamber made ready for him, late as it was,
and in the absence of the master, who had taken a little holiday, now
that Lent and Easter were over, for the purpose of fishing.
Pages:
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162