love? He was true. He was conscious
of his own constancy. He was sure of himself that he was bound to her
by his love, and not by the hope of any worldly advantage. And why
should he think that she was weaker, vainer, less noble than himself?
Had he not evidence to show him that she was strong enough to resist
a temptation to which he had never been subjected? He had read of
women who were above the gilt and glitter of the world. When he was
disposed to think that she would be false, no terms of reproach
seemed to him too severe to heap upon her name; and yet, when he
found that he had no ground on which to accuse her, even in his own
thoughts, of treachery to himself, he could hardly bring himself to
think it possible that she should not be treacherous. She had sworn
to him, as he had sworn to her, and was he not bound to believe her
oath?

Then he remembered what the poet had said to him. The poet had
advised him to desist altogether, and had told him that it would
certainly be best for the girl that he should do so. The poet had not
based his advice on the ground that the girl would prove false, but
that it would be good for the girl to be allowed to be false,--good
for the girl that she should be encouraged to be false, in order that
she might become an earl's wife! But he thought that it would be bad
for any woman to be an earl's wife; and so thinking, how could he
abandon his love in order that he might hand her over to a fashion
of life which he himself despised? The poet must be wrong. He would
cling to his love till he should know that his love was false to him.
Should he ever learn that, then his love should be troubled with him
no further.

But something must be done. Even, on her behalf, if she were true to
him, something must be done. Was it not pusillanimous in him to make
no attempt to see his love and to tell her that he at any rate was
true to her? These people, who were now his enemies, the lawyers and
the Lovels, with the Countess at the head of them, had used him like
a dog, had repudiated him without remorse, had not a word even to say
of the services which his father had rendered. Was he bound by honour
or duty to stand on any terms with them? Could there be anything due
to them from him? Did it not behove him as a man to find his way
into the girl's presence and to assist her with his courage? He did
not fear them. What cause had he to fear them? In all that had been
between them his actions t