than she was, her sister's affection might have
given way under the repeated trials and disappointments it had had to
sustain; and there were times when Margaret's patience _had_ given way,
and she had for a brief while wished, and almost resolved, that she
could and would regard with indifference the state of mind of one who
was not reasonable, and who seemed incapable of being contented. But
such resolutions of indifference dissolved before her sister's next
manifestations of generosity, or appeals to the forgiveness of those
about her. Margaret always ended by supposing herself the cause of the
evil; that she had been inconsiderate; that she could not allow
sufficiently for a sensitiveness greater than her own; and above all,
that she was not fully worthy of such affection as Hester's--not
sufficient for such a mind and heart. She had looked forward, with
ardent expectation when she was happiest, and with sickly dread when she
was depressed, to the event of Hester's marriage, as that which must
decide whether she could be happy, or whether her life was to be
throughout the scene of conflict that its opening years had been.
Hester's connexion was all that she could have desired, and far beyond
her utmost hopes. This brother-in-law was one of a thousand--one whom
she was ready to consider a good angel sent to shed peace over her
sister's life: and during the months of her engagement, she had kept
anxiety at bay, and resigned herself to the delights of gratitude and of
sweet anticipations, and to the satisfaction of feeling that her own
responsibilities might be considered at an end. She had delivered
Hester's happiness over into the charge of one who would cherish it
better and more successfully than she had done; and she could not but
feel the relief of the freedom she had gained: but neither could she
repress her anxiety to know, at the outset, whether all was indeed as
well as she had till now undoubtingly supposed that it would be.

Margaret's attachment to her sister would have been in greater danger of
being worn out but for the existence of a closer sympathy between them
than any one but themselves, and perhaps Morris, was aware of. Margaret
had a strong suspicion that in Hester's place her temper would have been
exactly what Hester's was in its least happy characteristics. She had
tendencies to jealousy; and if not to morbid self-study, and to
dissatisfaction with present circumstances, she was indebted f