Now to
be the object of the violent affection of such a woman as Belle Quest
is no doubt very flattering and even charming for a while. But if that
affection is not returned in kind, if in short the gentleman does not
love the lady quite as warmly as she loves him, then in course of time
the charm is apt to vanish and even the flattery to cease to give
pleasure. Also, when as in the present case the connection is wrong in
itself and universally condemned by society, the affection which can
still triumph and endure on both sides must be of a very strong and
lasting order. Even an unprincipled man dislikes the acting of one
long lie such as an intimacy of the sort necessarily involves, and if
the man happens to be rather weak than unprincipled, the dislike is
apt to turn to loathing, some portion of which will certainly be
reflected on to the partner of his ill-doing.
These are general principles, but the case of Edward Cossey offered no
exception to them, indeed it illustrated them well. He had never been
in love with Mrs. Quest; to begin with she had shown herself too much
in love with him to necessitate any display of emotion on his part.
Her violent and unreasoning passion wearied and alarmed him, he never
knew what she would do next and was kept in a continual condition of
anxiety and irritation as to what the morrow might bring forth.
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