She liked lies, thinking them
to be more beautiful than truth. To lie readily and cleverly, recklessly
and yet successfully, was, according to the lessons which she had learned,
a necessity in woman and an added grace in man. There was that wretched
Macnulty, who would never lie; and what was the result? She was unfit even
for the poor condition of life which she pretended to fill. When poor
Macnulty had heard that Mr. Emilius was coming to the castle, and had not
even mentioned her name, and again, when he had been announced on this
very morning, the unfortunate woman had been unable to control her absurd
disappointment.
"Mr. Emilius," Lizzie said, throwing herself back upon her couch, "you
press me very hard."
"I would press you harder still to gain the glory I covet." And he made a
motion with arms as though he had already got her tight within his grasp.
"You take advantage of my illness."
"In attacking a fortress do not the besiegers take all advantages? Dear
Lady Eustace, allow me to return to London with the right of protecting
your name at this moment, in which the false and the thoughtless are
attacking it.
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