I begged him not to marry Ellen yet--not at least until he had known her
for a longer time. He would not hear of it; he had given his word, and
if he had not given it he should go and give it at once. I had hitherto
found him upon most matters singularly docile and easy to manage, but on
this point I could do nothing with him. His recent victory over his
father and mother had increased his strength, and I was nowhere. I would
have told him of his true position, but I knew very well that this would
only make him more bent on having his own way--for with so much money why
should he not please himself? I said nothing, therefore, on this head,
and yet all that I could urge went for very little with one who believed
himself to be an artisan or nothing.
Really from his own standpoint there was nothing very outrageous in what
he was doing. He had known and been very fond of Ellen years before. He
knew her to come of respectable people, and to have borne a good
character, and to have been universally liked at Battersby. She was then
a quick, smart, hard-working girl--and a very pretty one. When at last
they met again she was on her best behaviour, in fact, she was modesty
and demureness itself.
Pages:
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541