I believe it: but I hope you will allow your father, and me, and your
uncles, to judge what will do it honour, what dishonour.
I then offered to live single; never to marry at all; or never but with
their full approbation.
If you mean to shew your duty, and your obedience, Clary, you must shew
it in our way, not in your own.
I hope, Madam, that I have not so behaved hitherto, as to render such a
trial of my obedience necessary.
Yes, Clary, I cannot but say that you have hitherto behaved extremely
well: but you have had no trials till now: and I hope, that now you are
called to one, you will not fail in it. Parents, proceeded she, when
children are young, are pleased with every thing they do. You have been
a good child upon the whole: but we have hitherto rather complied with
you, than you with us. Now that you are grown up to marriageable years,
is the test; especially as your grandfather has made you independent, as
we may say, in preference to those who had prior expectations upon that
estate.
Madam, my grandfather knew, and expressly mentioned in his will his
desire, that my father will more than make it up to my sister. I did
nothing but what I thought my duty to procure his favour. It was rather
a mark of his affection, than any advantage to me: For, do I either
seek or wish to be independent? Were I to be queen of the universe, that
dignity should not absolve me from my duty to you and to my father. I
would kneel for your blessings, were it in the presence of millions--so
that--
I am loth to interrupt you, Clary; though you could more than once break
in upon me. You are young and unbroken: but, with all this ostentation
of your duty, I desire you to shew a little more deference to me when I
am speaking.
I beg your pardon, dear Madam, and your patience with me on such an
occasion as this. If I did not speak with earnestness upon it, I should
be supposed to have only maidenly objections against a man I never can
endure.
Clary Harlowe--!
Dearest, dearest Madam, permit me to speak what I have to say, this
once--It is hard, it is very hard, to be forbidden to enter into
the cause of all these misunderstandings, because I must not speak
disrespectfully of one who supposes me in the way of his ambition, and
treats me like a slave--