Those he loved could
guide him with a leash of gossamer, but young men in his position
were exposed to so many temptations! There ensued a little sighing
over the evils of wealth; and to see and hear the two ladies, no one
would have thought that Julia Poynsett had married a young man for
love--Susan Lorimer an old man for independence.
Possibly with her present principles she would not have done so; but
through the vista of a long and prosperous widowhood deficiencies in
the courtship were easily forgotten; and perhaps there was the more
romance and sentiment now because she had been balked of it in her
youth. She had freely allowed her eldest daughter to enter a
sisterhood from the purest, most unselfish motives, but there was
compensation in talking of her Margaret as a Sister of Mercy.
And ere long she was anxiously inquiring Mrs. Poynsett's opinion of
Eleonora Vivian, and making confidences somewhat trying to the
mother of the young lady's ardent lover.
She was quite aware that as to fortune there could hardly be a worse
match than Miss Vivian; but she was sensible enough to see that her
son had a sufficiency, and generous enough to like the idea of
redeeming the old estate.
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