I believe her head was once quite turned, and that he
influenced her entirely, and made her forget everything else; but she
has a heart, though not much of a head, and sorrow and illness and
children have brought it out, and she is what a 'very woman' becomes,
I suppose, if there be any good in her, an abstract wife and mother.'
'Was it not dangerous to take away her child?'
'There was another, you know, and it was to save his life. The
duties clashed, and were destroying all comfort.'
'How does he behave to her?'
'I believe she has all the love he has to spare; he is proud of her,
and dresses her up, and has endless portraits of her. Luckily she
keeps her beauty. She is more refined, and has more expression; one
could sometimes cry to watch her, and he likes to have her with him,
and to discourse to her, but without the slightest perception or
consideration of what she would prefer, and with no notion of
sacrificing anything for her or the children. I know she is afraid
of him; I have seen her tremble if there were any chance of his being
annoyed; and she would not object to any plan of his if it were to
cost her life. I believe it would be misery to her, but I think she
would resist--ay, she _did_ resist, and in vain, for the sake of her
child.'
'Does her affection hold out, do you think?'
'Oh, yes, the spaniel and walnut-tree love, which is in us all, and
doubly in the very woman.
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