[The Evil Eye; Or, The Black Spector by William Carleton]@TWC D-Link bookThe Evil Eye; Or, The Black Spector CHAPTER VII 16/27
In your case, unless the husband was a fool, or a madman, or a villain, there must be happiness.
Of course you will be happy with him; need I say," and here he sighed, "that he at least ought to be so with you ?" "Upon my word, Mr.Woodward," replied Alice, smiling, "you are a much cleverer man than I presume your own modesty ever permitted you to suspect." "I don't understand you," he replied, with a look of embarrassment. "Why," she proceeded, "here have you, in a few minutes, made up a match between two persons who never were intended to be married at all; you have got the sanction of two families to a union which neither of them even for a moment contemplated.
Dear me, sir, may not a lady and gentleman become acquainted without necessarily falling in love ?" "Ah, but, in your case, my dear Miss Goodwin, it would be difficult--impossible I should say--to remain indifferent, if the gentleman had either taste or sentiment; however, I assure you I am sincerely glad to find that I have been mistaken." "God bless me, Mr.Woodward," said Mrs.Goodwin, "did you think they were sweethearts ?" "Upon my honor, madam, I did--and I was very sorry for it." "Mr.Woodward," replied Alice, "don't mistake me; I am inaccessible to flattery." "I am delighted to hear it," said he, "because I know that for that reason you are not and will not be insensible to truth." "Unless when it borrows the garb of flattery, and thus causes itself to be suspected." "In that case," said Woodward, "nothing but good sense, Miss Goodwin, can draw the distinction between them--and now I know that you are possessed of that." "I hope so, sir," she replied, "and that I will ever continue to observe that distinction.
Mamma, I want more thread," she said: "where can I get it ?" "Up stairs, dear, in my work-box." She then bowed slightly to Woodward and went up to find her thread, but in fact from a wish to put an end to a conversation that she felt to be exceedingly disagreeable.
At this moment old Goodwin came in. "You will excuse me, I trust, Mr.Woodward," said he, "I was down in the dining-room receiving rents for------." He paused, for, on reflection, he felt that this was a disagreeable topic to allude to; the fact being that he acted as his daughter's agent, and I had been on that and the preceding day receiving her rents.
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