If Frank would pledge himself to become her husband in three
or four, or even in six months, she would go at once. She had more
confidence in Frank than even in Lord George. As for love, she would
sometimes tell herself that she was violently in love; but she hardly knew
with which. Lord George was certainly the best representative of that
perfect Corsair which her dreams had represented to her; but, in regard to
working life, she thought that she liked her cousin Frank better than she
had ever yet liked any other human being. But, in truth, she was now in
that condition, as she acknowledged to herself, that she was hardly
entitled to choose. Lord Fawn had promised to marry her, and to him as a
husband she conceived that she still had a right. Nothing had as yet been
proved against her which could justify him in repudiating his engagement.
She had, no doubt, asserted with all vehemence to her cousin that no
consideration would now induce her to give her hand to Lord Fawn; and when
making that assurance she had been, after her nature, sincere. But
circumstances were changed since that. She had not much hope that Lord
Fawn might be made to succumb, though evidence had reached her before the
last robbery which induced her to believe that he did not consider himself
to be quite secure.
Pages:
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806