"Let determined things to destiny

Hold unbewailed their way."

If Katherine had lived at this day, she would probably have spent her

time between her promise and its fulfilment in self-analysis and

introspective reasoning with her own conscience. But the women of a

century ago were not tossed about with winds of various opinions, or

made foolishly subtile by arguments about principles which ought never

to be associated with dissent. A few strong, plain dictates had been set

before Katherine as the law of her daily life; and she knew, beyond all

controversy, when she disobeyed them.

In her own heart, she called the sin she had determined to commit by its

most unequivocal name. "I shall make happy Richard; but my father I

shall deceive and disobey, and against my own soul there will be the

lie." This was the position she admitted, but every woman is Eve in some

hours of her life. The law of truth and wisdom may be in her ears, but

the apple of delight hangs within her reach, and, with a full

understanding of the consequences of disobedience, she takes the

forbidden pleasure. And if the vocal, positive command of Divinity was

unheeded by the first woman, mere mortal parents surely ought not to

wonder that their commands, though dictated by truest love and clearest

wisdom, are often lightly held, or even impotent against the voice of

some charmer, pleading personal pleasure against duty, and self-will

against the law infinitely higher and purer.

In truth, Katherine had grown very weary of the perpetual eulogies which

Batavius delivered of everything respectable and conservative. A kind of

stubbornness in evil followed her acceptance of evil. This time, at

least, she was determined to do wrong, whatever the consequences might

be. Batavius and his inflexible propriety irritated her: she had a

rebellious desire to give him little moral shocks; and she deeply

resented his constant injunctions to "remember that Joanna's and his own

good name were, in a manner, in her keeping."

Very disagreeable she thought Batavius had grown, and she also jealously

noted the influence he was exercising over Joanna. There are women who

prefer secrecy to honesty, and sin to truthfulness; but Katherine was

not one of them. If it had been possible to see her lover honourably,

she would have much preferred it. She was totally destitute of that

contemptible sentimentality which would rather invent difficulties in a

love-affair than not have them, but she knew well the storm of reproach

and disapproval which would answer any such request; and her thoughts

were all bent toward devising some plan which would enable her to leave

home early on that morning which she had promised her lover.




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