The Illegal Marriage — page 183: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE ILLEGAL MARRIAGE, 175 posed, for in the consciousness of Stannard’s pres- ence, and his attentions to her, she found a never- failing panacea for time and trouble. Every morning he sent her a bouquet of fresh flowers; every evening he called for an hour or two, bring- ing along something for her comfort, or to add to the appearance of her room. Day by day, Cecy felt a great change going on in her heart, and often found herself wondering how it was that she came to love Alfred Guerry. Did she love him? No, she had to confess that she never loved him as she had loved before, although she came near doing so; and closely questioning her own heart, she saw how completely she had: given herself up to a fancy. “T was piqued at his coolness,” she thought, refer- ring to Stannard, “and I did not believe he cared forme. And then they all seemed to think so much of Alfred—all the girls were trying to catch him, I was carried away by success.” Hour after hour she sat by her window, blaming herself severely, and questioning her own heart. “T thought him a malignant satirist who said that women love, not from the evidence of their own senses. but from the judgment of other women; yet how true it was even in my own case. I was mad. Parents are right when they say that the young do not know their own minds. We think that we do, and oppose restraint, bringing upon ourselves a life- time of trouble. Oh, that I had listened to the good advice that was given me.” One evening Cecy sat musing thus, when, to her ereat surprise, Mrs. Bond came in. Despite the dis- tance, she had driven down from Macon to spend a night with her suffering friend. It was a visit that brought inconceivable relief to Cecy. For a moment she could not realize that it was really her friend; the next they were locked in each other’s arms. : “T have come to spend the night with you, Cecy, my sister is with me. My dear Cecy, how much you must have suffered.” Eomicboo cS (Elo)