"Shall the woman be bound by
the folly of the child? No!--have never once considered myself as
L----'s wife. If I have lived in his house, it was to make the best of
what was left, as Almeria advised. But what I feel he knows perfectly.
I have never deceived him. But O! I hazard all! all! and should I be
again ignorant, again deceived"----
V---- here poured forth all that can be imagined.
I rose: "Emily, this case seems to me so extraordinary that I must
have time to think. You shall hear from me. I shall certainly give you
my best advice, and I trust you will not over-value it."
"I am sure," she said, "it will be of use to me, and will enable me to
decide what I shall do. V----, now go away with Aglauron; it is too
late for you to stay here."
I do not know if I have made obvious, in this account, what struck me
most in the interview,--a certain savage force in the character of
this beautiful woman, quite independent of the reasoning power. I saw
that, as she could give no account of the past, except that she saw it
was fit, or saw it was not, so she must be dealt with now by a strong
instalment made by another from his own point of view, which she would
accept or not, as suited her.
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