There was his own dear letter to me never
unsealed; and there was another to my father saying in a proud-spirited
way that he did not know what he had done to be so served, and he
wished I might find happiness, for I would never find one that loved
me as well. I who had turned against him in my heart!'
'It was cruel indeed! And you kept it from your mother!' said
Albinia, beginning to honour her.
'My poor father was just gone, you know, and I could not be grieving
her with what was passed and over, and letting her know that my
father had broken my heart, as indeed I think he did, though he meant
it all for the best. But oh! I thought it hard when Lucy had married
the handsomest man in the country, and gone out to India, without a
word against it, that I might not please myself, because I was papa's
favourite.'
'It was very hard not to be made aware of his intentions.'
'Yea,' said Maria; 'for it gave me such a bitter, restless feeling
against him--though I ought to have known him better than to think he
would give one minute's pain he could help; and then when I knew the
truth, the bitterness all went to poor papa's memory, and yet perhaps
he never meant to be unkind either.'
Albinia said some kind words, and Maria went on:
'But what I wanted to say was this--Please don't let mamma suspect
one bit about it; and next, if Edmund would not mind showing him a
little attention.
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