Has he told you otherwise?'
'He thinks--he hopes, at least--and I am sure--it is all stifled by
her sense of duty, and fear of offending you, or appearing
mercenary.'
'All delusion!' said Albinia; 'there's not a spark of consciousness
about her! I see you don't like to believe it, but it is my great
comfort. Think how she would suffer if she did love him! Nay,
think, before you are angry with me for not promoting it, how it
would bring them into trouble and disgrace with all the world, even
if your father consented. Have you once thought how it would appear
to him?'
'You can persuade papa to anything !'
'Sophy! you ought to know your father better than to say that!' cried
Albinia, as if it had been disrespect to him.
'Then you think he would never allow it! You really think that such
a creature as Genevieve, as perfect a lady as ever existed, must
always be a victim to these hateful rules about station.'
'No,' said Albinia, 'certainly not; but if she were in the very same
rank, if all else were suitable, Gilbert's age would make the pursuit
ridiculous.'
'Only three years younger,' sighed Sophy. 'But if they were the same
age? Do you mean that no one ever ought to marry, if they love ever
so much, where the station is different?'
'No, but that they must not do so lightly, but try the love first to
see whether it be worth the sacrifice. If an attachment last through
many years of adverse circumstances, I think the happiness of the
people has been shown to depend on each other, but I don't think it
safe to disregard disparities till there has been some test that the
love is the right stuff, or else they may produce ill-temper,
regrets, and unhappiness, all the rest of their lives.
Pages:
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366