The very circumstances under which
they had met, conduced to the suppression, if not utter
extinction, of all of passion attached to the sentiment
with which he had been inspired. A new feeling had
quickened in his breast; and it was with emotions more
assimilated to friendship than to love that he now regarded
the beautiful but sorrow-stricken sister of his bosom
friend. Still there was a softness, a purity, a delicacy
and tenderness in this new feeling, in which the influence
of sex secretly though unacknowledgedly predominated;
and even while sensible it would have been a profanation
of every thing most sacred and delicate in nature to have
admitted a thought of love within his breast at such a
moment, he also felt he could have entertained a voluptuous
joy in making any sacrifice, even to the surrender of
life itself, provided the tranquillity of that gentle
and suffering being could be by it ensured.
Clara, in her turn, had been in no condition to admit so
exclusive a power as that of love within her soul. She
had, it is true, even amid the desolation of her shattered
spirit, recognised in the young officer the original of
a portrait so frequently drawn by her brother, and dwelt
on by herself.
Pages:
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678