The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 351: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

| THE STRING OF PEARLS. 343 memory of his affection for her. I saw in her guch child-like purity of mind, such generosity of disposition, such enchanting humanity of soul, that I could’ not but love her. . ‘* Yes, yes,” gasped Arabella. ‘ Yes.” “* Will you pardon me for saying all this to you?” ‘Oh yes. Go on—go on, unless you have said all ?”? “-T have not.’’ *¢ Then, then you have only to add that you love her still 2” Yes, but——”’ $8 seg Arabella’s heart beat painfully. ‘‘Ah,” she said, “has true love any reservations? Youlove her, wand yet | you have something else to say.” | + | and for the same qualities that I loved her I love you. | ‘IT have. I love her still. But it is not as I loved her. me of her cons‘ancy to her first affection, that—that——” ** Yes, yes,”’ : | That being so convinced, I now love her, but with that love a brother might feel for a dear sister, and I almost think it was a kind of preparation to try to awaken in the smouldering fires of her lost love a new passion. She has¢made me feel that the love of woman once truly awakened isan undying passion and can know no change—no extinction.”’ “True. Oh, how true!’’ | *T have learnt from her that when once the heart of a young and gentle | girl—one in whom there are no evil passions, no world-wise failings nor earthly varieties—is touched by the holy flame of affection, it may consume her being, but it never can be extinguished.” | Arabella burst into tears. _| “Love,” added the colonel, ‘‘may be trodden down, but like truth it can | never be trodden out!” || © Never! never!’’ sobbed Arabella. ‘‘ Let me gonow! Oh,sir, let me go home now ?” | '| One moment!” | She trembled, but she sat still. “ Only a moment, Arabella, while I tell you that man’s love is different from this. That man can reason upon his affections, and that when the first beauty She has convinced | | =, e e e ° ° | and excellence upon which he may cast his eyes is denied to his arms, he can look for equal beauty—equal excellence—equal charms of mind and person in another, and ‘ | | Arabella tried to go, but somehow she felt spell-bound and could not rise from that garden seat. «* And,” added the colonel, ‘* with as pure a passion, mancan make an idol ‘of her who can be his, ashe approached her who could not.—Miss Wilmot, I love you !’ : ‘‘ Oh, no, no—Johanna.” | ©Y donot shrink from the pronunciation of that name ; I have said that 1 loved Johanna. Ifshe had been fancy-free and would have looked upon me with eyes of favour, | would have made her my wife ; but such was not to be, Iam afraid I have not explained my feelings well.’’ | | | “Qh, yes. That is, I don’t know.” ‘* And now, Miss Wilmot, will you allow me to hope that what I have saic 3? | to you may not be all in vain? ~That—— ** No, no.’’ “No ?? ! ‘‘ Allow me to go, now. Mymind is too fullof the fate of Johanna even to permit me to reject in the language taught—” , 4 Reject ?’” ae ‘‘Yes,”’ she said, ‘ reject. I wish you all the happiness this world can afford | ; ‘to you, Colonel Jeffery.” comicbooks.com