FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140  
141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   >>   >|  
ious adviser, and where I failed to enlighten and control, I thought I might safely undertake to pardon, for the sake of her many excellences. Therefore, my dearest girl, since I am satisfied, why should you object--on my account, at least?' 'But to tell you the truth, Mr. Boarham, it is on my own account I principally object; so let us--drop the subject,' I would have said, 'for it is worse than useless to pursue it any further,' but he pertinaciously interrupted me with,--'But why so? I would love you, cherish you, protect you,' &c., &c. I shall not trouble myself to put down all that passed between us. Suffice it to say, that I found him very troublesome, and very hard to convince that I really meant what I said, and really was so obstinate and blind to my own interests, that there was no shadow of a chance that either he or my aunt would ever be able to overcome my objections. Indeed, I am not sure that I succeeded after all; though wearied with his so pertinaciously returning to the same point and repeating the same arguments over and over again, forcing me to reiterate the same replies, I at length turned short and sharp upon him, and my last words were,--'I tell you plainly, that it cannot be. No consideration can induce me to marry against my inclinations. I respect you--at least, I would respect you, if you would behave like a sensible man--but I cannot love you, and never could--and the more you talk the further you repel me; so pray don't say any more about it.' Whereupon he wished me a good-morning, and withdrew, disconcerted and offended, no doubt; but surely it was not my fault. CHAPTER XVII The next day I accompanied my uncle and aunt to a dinner-party at Mr. Wilmot's. He had two ladies staying with him: his niece Annabella, a fine dashing girl, or rather young woman,--of some five-and-twenty, too great a flirt to be married, according to her own assertion, but greatly admired by the gentlemen, who universally pronounced her a splendid woman; and her gentle cousin, Milicent Hargrave, who had taken a violent fancy to me, mistaking me for something vastly better than I was. And I, in return, was very fond of her. I should entirely exclude poor Milicent in my general animadversions against the ladies of my acquaintance. But it was not on her account, or her cousin's, that I have mentioned the party: it was for the sake of another of Mr. Wilmot's guests, to wit Mr. Huntingdon. I hav
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140  
141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
account
 

pertinaciously

 

object

 

Wilmot

 

cousin

 
Milicent
 
respect
 

ladies

 
accompanied
 

staying


dinner

 

Annabella

 
withdrew
 

Whereupon

 
wished
 

surely

 
CHAPTER
 
offended
 

morning

 

disconcerted


return

 

vastly

 

mistaking

 

exclude

 

guests

 

Huntingdon

 

mentioned

 

general

 

animadversions

 

acquaintance


violent

 
married
 

twenty

 

assertion

 

pronounced

 
splendid
 

gentle

 
Hargrave
 

universally

 
gentlemen

greatly
 

admired

 
dashing
 
passed
 

Suffice

 

trouble

 
thought
 

control

 
enlighten
 

obstinate