The mother knows that it is good that
her child should love some man better than all the world beside,
and that she should be taken away to become a wife and a mother.
And the father, when that delight of his eye ceases to assure him
that he is her nearest and dearest, though he abandon the treasure
of the nearestness and dearestness with a soft melancholy, still
knows that it should be. Of course that other 'him' is the person
she loves the best in the world. Were it not so how evil a thing
it would be that she should marry him? Were it not so with
reference to some 'him', how void would her life be! But now, to
the poor Duke the wound had no salve, no consolation. When he was
told that this young Tregear was the owner of the girl's sweet
love, was the treasure of her heart, he shrank as though arrows
with sharp points were pricking him all over. 'I will not hear of
such love,' he said.
'What am I to say, papa?'
'Say that you will obey me.'
Then she sat silent. 'Do you not know that he is not fit to be
your husband?'
'No, papa.
Pages:
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126