"But I never would
persuade a girl to marry a man she did not love. I think it would
be wicked. I always thought so."
There was nothing about degradation in all this. It was quite clear to
Mary that had she been able to tell Lady Ushant that she was head over
ears in love with this young man and that therefore she was going to
marry him, her old friend would have found no reason to lament such an
arrangement. Her old friend would have congratulated her. Lady Ushant
evidently thought Larry Twentyman to be good enough as soon as she heard
what Mary found herself compelled to say in the young man's favour. Mary
was almost disappointed; but reconciled herself to it very quickly,
telling herself that there was yet time for her to decide in favour of
her lover if she could bring herself to do so.
And she did try that night and all the next day, thinking that if
she could so make up her mind she would declare her purpose to Lady
Ushant before she left Cheltenham. But she could not do it, and in
the struggle with herself at last she learned something of the
truth. Lady Ushant saw nothing but what was right and proper in a
marriage with Lawrence Twentyman, but Reginald Morton had declared
it to be improper, and therefore it was out of her reach. She could
not do it. She could not bring herself, after what he had said, to
look him in the face and tell him that she was going to become the
wife of Larry Twentyman.
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