Ernest Maltravers (Paperback)

Excerpt: ...and you will always bear an honourable index to your mutual discovery and recognition. Besides, when you are respectable, honoured, and earning an independence, he may not be too proud to marry you. But take your own name, avow your own history, and not only will your child be an outcast, yourself a beggar, or, at best, a menial dependant, but you lose every hope of recovering the object of your too-devoted attachment." Thus Alice was convinced. From that time she became close and reserved in her communications. Mrs. Leslie had wisely selected a town sufficiently remote from her own abode to preclude any revelations of her domestics; and, as Mrs. Butler, Alice attracted universal sympathy and respect from the exercise of her talents, the modest sweetness of her manners, the unblemished propriety of her conduct. Somehow or other, no sooner did she learn the philosophy of concealment than she made a great leap in knowledge of the world. And, though flattered and courted by the young loungers of C---, she steered her course with so much address that she was never persecuted. For there are few men in the world who make advances where there is no encouragement. The banker observed her conduct with silent vigilance. He met her often, he visited her often. He was intimate at houses where she attended to teach or perform. He lent her good books-he advised her-he preached to her. Alice began to look up to him-to like him-to consider him as a village girl in Catholic countries may consider a benevolent and kindly priest. And he-what was his object?-at that time it is impossible to guess: -he became thoughtful and abstracted. One day an old maid and an old clergyman met in the High Street of C---. "And how do you do, ma'am?" said the clergyman; "how is the rheumatism?" "Better, thank you, sir. Any news?" The clergyman smiled, and something hovered on his lips, which he suppressed. "Were you," the old maid resumed, "at Mrs. Macnab's last...