But her poor foolish mother little
knew her present feeling towards this man. Perhaps it was unusual
in the circumstances, unlucky, unaccountable; but there it was; and
this, as she had said, was what made her detest herself. She had
never wholly cared for him; she did not at all care for him now. She
had dreaded him, winced before him, succumbed to adroit advantages
he took of her helplessness; then, temporarily blinded by his ardent
manners, had been stirred to confused surrender awhile: had suddenly
despised and disliked him, and had run away. That was all. Hate him
she did not quite; but he was dust and ashes to her, and even for her
name's sake she scarcely wished to marry him.
"You ought to have been more careful if you didn't mean to get him to
make you his wife!"
"O mother, my mother!" cried the agonized girl, turning passionately
upon her parent as if her poor heart would break. "How could I be
expected to know? I was a child when I left this house four months
ago. Why didn't you tell me there was danger in men-folk? Why
didn't you warn me? Ladies know what to fend hands against, because
they read novels that tell them of these tricks; but I never had the
chance o' learning in that way, and you did not help me!"
Her mother was subdued.
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