It seemed that if this being to whom he was indebted for
so much joy were miserable, he must be unhappy; that if she died, life
ought to have, could have, no charms for him. He kissed away her tears,
he pledged his faith, and Lady Aphrodite Grafton was his betrothed!
She wonderfully recovered. Her deep but silent joy seemed to repay him
even for this bitter sacrifice. Compared with the late racking of his
feelings, the present calm, which was merely the result of suspense
being destroyed, seemed happiness. His conscience whispered approbation,
and he felt that, for once, he had sacrificed himself to another.
They re-entered the villa, and he took the first opportunity of
wandering alone to the least frequented parts of the grounds: his mind
demanded solitude, and his soul required soliloquy.
'So the game is up! truly a most lame and impotent conclusion! And this,
then, is the result of all my high fancies and indefinite aspirations!
Verily, I am a very distinguished hero, and have not abused my
unrivalled advantages in the least. What! am I bitter on myself? There
will be enough to sing my praises without myself joining in this chorus
of congratulation.
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