loves Marwood.

SARA.

You will kill me!

MARWOOD.

It is incredible that a love which has lasted more than ten years can
die away so quickly. It may certainly suffer a short eclipse, but
nothing but a short one, from which it breaks forth again with renewed
brightness. I could name to you a Miss Oclaff, a Miss Dorcas, a Miss
Moore, and several others, who one after another threatened to alienate
from Marwood the man by whom they eventually saw themselves most
cruelly deceived. There is a certain point beyond which he cannot go,
and as soon as he gets face to face with it he draws suddenly back. But
suppose, Miss Sampson, you were the one fortunate woman in whose case
all circumstances declared themselves against him; suppose you
succeeded in compelling him to conquer the disgust of a formal yoke
which has now become innate to him; do you then expect to make sure of
his heart in this way?

SARA.

Miserable girl that I am! What must I hear?

MARWOOD.

Nothing less than that! He would then hurry back all the more into the
arms of her who had not been so jealous of his liberty. You would be
called his wife and she would be it.

SARA.

Do not torment me longer with such dreadful pictures! Advise me rather,
Madam, I pray you, advise me what to do. You must know him! You must
know by what means it may still be possible to reconcile him with a
bond without which even the most sincere love remains an unholy
passion.

MARWOOD.

That one can catch a bird, I well know; but that one can render its
cage more pleasant than the open field, I do not know. My advice,
therefore, would be that one should rather not catch it, and should
spare oneself the vexation of the profitless trouble. Content yourself,
young lady, with the pleasure of having seen him very near your net;
and as you can foresee, that he would certainly tear it if you tempted
him in altogether, spare your net and do not tempt him in.

SARA.

I do not know whether I rightly understand your playful parable----

MARWOOD.

If you are vexed with it, you have understood it. In one word. Your own
interest as well as that of another--wisdom as well as justice, can,
and must induce Miss Sampson to renoun