Is it better to drive a fellow-creature to despair than to transgress a mere human law, no man being injured by the breach?
 Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre (16 October 1847). copy citation

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Author Charlotte Brontë
Source Jane Eyre
Topic despair law
Date 16 October 1847
Language English
Reference
Note
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1260/1260-h/1260-h.htm

Context

““You make me a liar by such language: you sully my honour. I declared I could not change: you tell me to my face I shall change soon. And what a distortion in your judgment, what a perversity in your ideas, is proved by your conduct! Is it better to drive a fellow-creature to despair than to transgress a mere human law, no man being injured by the breach? for you have neither relatives nor acquaintances whom you need fear to offend by living with me?” This was true: and while he spoke my very conscience and reason turned traitors against me, and charged me with crime in resisting him.” source