Trembling, and pale as death, she appeared before him.
Sir Robert, having supported her to a chair, with the most
affectionate and tender expressions of paternal exultation repeated
to her the sum of his conversation with the count. Mary was almost
wild at this discourse. So inconsistent and erratic is the passion of
love, when it reigns in woman's breast, she forgot in an instant the
looks and voice of Thaddeus; she forgot her terror of having
forfeited his affection by her affected coldness alone; and dreading
that the first proposal of their union had proceeded from her uncle,
she buried her agitated face in her hands, and exclaimed, "O sir! I
fear that you have made me forever hateful in my own eyes and
despicable in those of the Count Sobieski!"
Sir Robert looked on her emotion with a smiling but a pitying gaze,
reading in all the unaffected apprehensive modesty of that noble
maiden's heart.
"Well," cried he, in a gentle raillery of tone, "my own beloved one!
if thy guardian uncle cannot prevail over this wayward fancifulness,
so unlike his ingenuous Mary's usual fair dealing with the truth of
others. I must call in even a better-accredited pleader, and shall
then leave my object, the balance of justice and mercy, in equally
beloved hands."
While he spoke, he rose and opened a door that led to an adjoining
room. Miss Beaufort would have flown through another had not Sir
Robert suddenly stood in her way.
Pages:
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679