But poor Hesper had much excuse, though no justification. She had
had many of the disadvantages and scarce one of the benefits of
poverty. She had heard constantly from childhood the most worldly
and greedy talk, the commonest expression of abject dependence on
the favors of Mammon, and thus had from the first been in
preparation for _marrying money_. She had been taught no
other way of doing her part to procure the things of which the
Father knows we have need. She had never earned a dinner; had
never done or thought of doing a day's work--of offering the
world anything for the sake of which the world might offer her a
shilling to do it again; she had never dreamed of being of any
use, even to herself; she had learned to long for money, but had
never been hungry, never been cold: she had sometimes felt
shabby. Out of it all she had brought but the knowledge that this
matter of beauty, with which, by some blessed chance, she was
endowed, was worth much precious money in the world's market--
worth all the dresses she could ever desire, worth jewels and
horses and servants, adoration and adulation--everything, in
fact, the world calls fine, and the devil offers to those who,
unscared by his inherent ugliness, will fall down and worship
him.
CHAPTER XXX.
A SCOLDING.
The Evening Star found herself a success--that is, much followed
by the men and much complimented by the women.
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