Not from Jane would
support come in that event; she, poor child I would fall into
miserable perplexity, in conflict between love and duty, and her
life would be rained.
Of course a man might have said, 'What matter how things arrange
themselves when Michael is past knowledge of them? I will marry the
woman I honestly desire, and together we will carry out this
humanitarian project so long as it be possible. When it ceases to be
so, well--.' But Sidney could not take that view. It shamed him
beyond endurance to think that he must ever avoid Jane's look,
because he had proved himself dishonest, and, what were worse, had
tempted her to become so.
The conflict between desire and scruple made every day a weariness.
Instead of looking forward eagerly to the evening in the week which
he spent with Michael and Jane, he dreaded its approach. Scarcely
had he met Jane's look since this trouble began; he knew that her
voice when she spoke to him expressed consciousness of something new
in their relations, and even whilst continuing to act his part he
suffered ceaselessly. Had Michael ever repeated to his granddaughter
the confession which Sidney would now have given anything to recall?
It was more than possible.
Pages:
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465