Charlotte Smith

“ At length I sunk into silent despair, because I had no longer the power of speaking, and then Helene ventured to leave me, carefully locking the door of my chamber after her, as well as that of the anti-room, and hasten away to procure not only some medicine for me, which she hoped would quiet my agitated spirits, but the benefit of the counsel she knew she should recieve from the Abbé Hayward, who, though he had not been more than a week in the house, had gained the confidence and good opinion of every one in the family. ”

“ If I thought you capable of any part of the folly, the infamy, which this letter attaches to your conduct, I would not hold even this parley with you—but I will not think it; though I severly arraign myself for my inattention, yet I know that a daughter of mine would not dare to encourage any man without my approbation ”

“ Though my father was retired from the world, he had not lost in retirement the passions that influence men of that world: on the contrary, living where he was the lord of many miles, where none, either in his house or around it, ever disputed his will, he had, like a despot, entirely forgotten that others had any will at all. ”

“ But love, too apt to listen to the voice of hope, suffered us not to see the misery we were laying up for ourselves; and even amidst the reproaches Ormsby often made himself, for what he termed treachery and ingratitude, the flattering illusions into which we were betrayed by youthful inexperience, not only quieted these alarms of conscience, but made us listen with something bordering on resentment to the remonstrances of my friend, Mrs. ”