'But though it be important to the success of his opinions, and indeed
to the respectability of his character, that he should act according to
his precepts, he, for the sake of preserving to me the notice of persons
whose narrowness of mind I despise, would conform to an institution
which both he and I think unworthy of regard from a rational being.--And
shall not I be as generous as he is? shall I scruple to give up for his
honour and fame the petty advantages which marriage would give me?
Never--his honour and fame are too dear to me; but the claims which my
mother has on me are in my eyes so sacred that, for her sake, though not
for my own, I would accept the sacrifice which Glenmurray offers. If,
then, she says that she will never see or pardon me till I am become
a wife, I will follow him to the altar directly; but till then I must
insist on remaining as I am. It is necessary that I should respect the
man I love; and I should not respect Glenmurray were he not capable of
supporting with fortitude the consequences of his opinions; and could
he, for motives less strong than those he avows, cease to act up to what
he believes to be right. For, never can I respect or believe firmly in
the truth of those doctrines, the followers of which shrink from a sort
of martyrdom in support of them.'
'O Mr Glenmurray!' cried the doctor shaking his head, 'what have you
to answer for! What a glorious champion would that creature have
been in the support of truth, when even error in her looks so like to
virtue!--And then the amiable disinterestedness of you both!--What
a powerful thing must true love be, when it can make a speculative
philosopher indifferent to the interests of his system, and ready to act
in direct opposition to it, rather than injure the respectability of the
woman he loves! Well, well, the Lord forgive you, young man, for having
taken it into your head to set up for a great author!'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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