Am I to be bought and sold like this?"
Mrs. Dodd sighed, but said calmly, "You must pay the penalty for loving a
_parvenu's_ son. Come, Julia, no peevishness, no more romance, no more
vacillation. You have tried Pride and failed pitiably: now I insist on
your trying Love! Child, it is the bane of our sex to carry nothing out:
from that weakness I will preserve you. And, by-the-bye, we are not going
to marry Mr. Richard Hardie, but Mr. Alfred. Now, Mr. Alfred, with all
his faults and defects--"
"Mamma! what faults? what defects?"
"--Is a gentleman; thanks to Oxford, and Harrow, and nature. My darling,
pray to Heaven night and day for your dear father's safe return; for on
him, and him alone, your happiness depends: as mine does."
"Mamma!" cried Julia, embracing her, "what do poor girls do who have lost
their mother?"
"Look abroad and see," was the grave reply.
Mrs. Dodd then begged her to go to sleep, like a good child, for her
health's sake; all would be well; and with this was about to return to
her own room; but a white hand and arm darted out of the bed and caught
her.
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