He gave her ample grounds for this belief, and she acted upon
it in all good faith. That he may have deceived her is possible, though
not probable; but that she would have deceived a priest of her Church at
the most solemn moment of her life, and on one of the most sacred things
of her religion, is both impossible and improbable. The whole nature of
the woman, her transparent truthfulness, her fervent piety, rise up in
witness against this charge, and condemn it. And to what end would she
have done this thing? No one knew better than Lady Burton that there is
One whom she could not deceive; for with her the things invisible were
living realities, and the actualities of this life were but passing
things which come and fade away.
NOTES:
1. Lady Burton's maid, now dead.
2. _Life of Sir Richard Burton,_ by Isabel his wife, vol. ii.,
pp. 410-414. This work was published in May, 1893.
3. Miss Stisted's Life of Burton, pp. 409-414.
4. Translated from the Italian.
5. A tonic, a strengthening restorative.
6. An official (generally a physician) who visits the dead, and
assures himself that the death is real, and not an apparent one.
7. The Baroness Paul de Ralli, who procured the above attestation
from the priest, sent it in the first instance to Cardinal
Vaughan together with the following letter:
"TRIESTE, AUSTRIA, January 19, 1897.
"MY LORD CARDINAL,
"There has lately been published a so-called 'true' Life of the
late Sir Richard Burton, written by his niece.
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