rnelia's love was to her a matter of life and death: she was
quite convinced that to live without Bressant would be an impossibility.

The next question was, whether Bressant was really as good as Sophie
believed him to be. Cornelia did not think he was. Perhaps a secret
sense of his attitude toward her suggested her suspicions; perhaps they
were the result of her New-York experience, which had taught her just
enough about men to make her imagine there was more or less of dark and
indefinite villainy in the composition of all of them; perhaps it was
her wish that fathered her moral misgivings about him--for it must be
confessed that Cornelia was very far from shrinking at the idea of
seeing her suspicions verified.

Indeed, was it not, on all accounts, desirable that, whatever
objectionable points and passages the young man's life-record contained,
should be at once forthcoming? Cornelia could not restrain a feeling of
satisfaction at the growing conviction that it would be doing Sophie a
kind and friendly service to inform her, in time, what a reprobate she
was about to marry--if he only could be proved a reprobate! This
question of proof was the only one difficulty in Cornelia's way; all the
rest was as clear and easy as is generally the case in such matters.

It would not do to lie about it: Cornelia had a natural if not a moral
disinclination to falsehood, and was, moreover, acute enough to see how
strong, in this case, would be the chances of detection. It was not
likely that Sophie would accept upon hearsay any imputations or
accusations against her lover: she would speak to Bressant at once; the
lie would be revealed, and the result would be not only a failure to
alienate Sophie from him, but a certainty of alienating him from
Cornelia.

No; her reliance must be placed upon facts. Whatever she could hear to
the young man's disadvantage that was true, beyond the possibility of
his denial, that she must at once make known to Sophie: it was no less
than her duty. Or, better still, why would it not be enough simply to
inform Bressant of her dark discovery, and compel him, by the threat of
revelation, to give up Sophie of his own accord! Cornelia, in
congratulating herself upon this shrewd idea, did not perceive how
entirely it transformed the whole aspect and spirit of her intention.

So much being arranged, the next thing was to put herself in the way of
learning the objectionable truths which she had persuaded