FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   >>   >|  
dryly. "But I shall not do anything of the kind," she added in a different tone; "women don't. They always try to be good, always, _always_--the more fools they! And the more they are good, the worse things get." "Ah! I thought there was some heterodox sentiment lurking here at high pressure!" exclaimed the Professor. Hadria sighed. "I have just been receiving good advice from Mrs. Gordon," she said, flushing at the remembrance, "and I think if you knew the sort of counsel it was, that you would understand one's feeling a little fierce and bitter. Oh, not with her, poor woman! She meant it in kindness. But the most cutting thing of all is, that what she said is _true!_" "That _is_ exactly the worst thing," said the Professor, who seemed to have divined the nature of Mrs. Gordon's advice. Hadria coloured. It hurt as well as astonished her, that he should guess what had been said. "Ah! a woman ought to be born without pride, or not at all! I wish to heaven that our fatal sex could be utterly stamped out!" The Professor smiled, a little sadly, at her vehemence. "We are accused of being at the bottom of every evil under heaven," she added, "and I think it is true. _That_ is some consolation, at any rate!" In spite of her immense reverence for the Professor, she seemed to have grown reckless as to his opinion. The next few days went strangely, and not altogether comprehensibly. There was a silent warfare between Professor Fortescue and Hubert Temperley. "I have never in my life before ventured to interfere in such matters," the Professor said to Miss Du Prel; "but if that fellow marries Hadria, one or both will live to rue it." "I think it's the best thing that could happen to her," Miss Du Prel declared. "But they are not suited to one another," said the Professor. "Men and women seldom are!" "Then why----?" the Professor began. "He is about as near as she will get," Valeria interrupted. "I will never stand in the way of a girl's marrying a good, honest man. There is not one chance in ten thousand that Hadria will happen to meet exactly the right person. I have made a mistake in my life. I shall do all in my power to urge her to avoid following in my footsteps." It was useless for the Professor to remonstrate. "I pity Mr. Temperley, though I am so fond of Hadria," said Miss Du Prel. "If he shatters _her_ illusions, she will certainly shatter _his_." The event that they had been e
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Professor

 

Hadria

 

Gordon

 
heaven
 
happen
 

Temperley

 
advice
 

strangely

 

opinion

 

declared


altogether
 

silent

 

Hubert

 

Fortescue

 

ventured

 
interfere
 

matters

 

marries

 

fellow

 
warfare

comprehensibly

 
footsteps
 

useless

 

remonstrate

 

mistake

 

shatter

 

illusions

 
shatters
 

person

 

Valeria


seldom

 

interrupted

 

chance

 

thousand

 

honest

 

reckless

 

marrying

 

suited

 

flushing

 

remembrance


receiving

 

exclaimed

 

sighed

 

counsel

 

bitter

 

understand

 
feeling
 

fierce

 

pressure

 

sentiment