Full resolution (TIFF) - On this page / på denna sida - Chapter XII. Another picture of married life.
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"[ O# THE SKJUTS-BOY.
beauty, who had hithcrto kept me ai a distance in such a m#nner
as wou]d hard]y become a clueen # but I thought all this would
cease airer I had made my declaration of love.
"XVith a burning hea## I flew fo my inamorata, and empti«l
the whole flood of my love ai ber fcet, and received a hardly
audible ’ Yes,’ but it# was certainly a Yes; and who was happier
than I, when she pronom#ced if a second rime belote the altar ?
"But the rime soon came when my castles in the air, of
Virginia’s high, strong soul, and w#m appreciation of ber love
for every#hing beautiflfl, suddenly vanished. I was no# able fo
find in ber the least trace of if.
"I venture fo say boldly, that you have never, in the cottrse
of your life, seen a woman like ¥irginia–beautiful as a vestal,
but, if possible, colder than marble–yes, colder than the icy
peaks of the Alps. Sl»eak fo ber of poetry, of literature, of the
news of the day, of anmsements, of fashion, of enjoyments of all
kinds, no feature in ber countenance will express that she takes
the least interest in them. Si#, for instance, close fo ber side in
’Hamlet "; look ai ber, when ever)4hing fhat can touch ¢he
human hear# #he deepest is before ber; behold fhe most violent
passions contending with each other; listen fo the migh#y words
of the hnmortal poet, which thrill your every nerve–and she
will sit there as cold and as imrnoveable as if before #he portrait
painter. Speak to her of #he misery in the huis of the poor#
describe if in the most lively colours–she will render all possible
assistance which she is able fo give, but without showing the
slightest evidence of fmoEher participation. In short, give every-
#hing which human powers can present, and you will hot allure
from ber the smallcst particlc of excitement.
"If, is now one year and a half since we were married.
#Vherever my beautiful wife appears, she is admircd, and ber
happy husband envied; but once behold us sitting together, alone
in our room for a few hours, you will hot then envy him any
more j for although she answers, with the greatest conscicntious-
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