o;” said he; “it is a long…cherished scheme; and the only one which can secure my great end: but I shall urge you no further at present。 To…morrow; I leave home for Cambridge: I have many friends there to whom I should wish to say farewell。 I shall be absent a fortnight—take that space of time to consider my offer: and do not forget that if you reject it; it is not me you deny; but God。 Through my means; He opens to you a noble career; as my wife only can you enter upon it。 Refuse to be my wife; and you limit yourself for ever to a track of selfish ease and barren obscurity。 Tremble lest in that case you should be numbered with those who have denied the faith; and are worse than infidels!”
He had done。 Turning from me; he once more
“Looked to river; looked to hill。”
But this time his feelings were all pent in his heart: I was not worthy to hear them uttered。 As I walked by his side homeward; I read well in his iron silence all he felt towards me: the disappointment of an austere and despotic nature; which has met resistance where it expected submission—the disapprobation of a cool; inflexible judgment; which has detected in another feelings and views in which it has no power to sympathise: in short; as a man; he would have wished to coerce me into obedience: it was only as a sincere Christian he bore so patiently with my perversity; and allowed so long a space for reflection and repentance。
That night; after he had kissed his sisters; he thought proper to forget even to shake hands with me; but left the room in silence。 I—who; though I had no love; had much friendship for him—was hurt by the marked omission: so much hurt that tears started to my eyes。
“I see you and St。 John have been quarrelling; Jane;” said Diana; “during your walk o