And I was happy. I had enjoyment during the day; my profession was, at
all events, liberal. I was dressed and lived as a gentleman, or rather
I should say respectably. I was earning my own livelihood. I was a
useful member of society, and when I retired home to meals, and late at
night, I found, that if Cophagus and his wife had retired, Susannah
Temple always waited up, and remained with me a few minutes. I had
never been in love until I had fallen in with this perfect creature; but
my love for her was not the love of the world; I could not so depreciate
her--I loved her as a superior being--I loved her with fear and
trembling. I felt that she was too pure, too holy, too good for a vain
worldly creature like myself. I felt as if my destiny depended upon her
and her fiat; that if she favoured me, my happiness in this world and in
the next were secured; that if she rejected me, I was cast away for
ever. Such was my feeling for Susannah Temple, who, perfect as she was,
was still a woman, and perceived her power over me; but unlike the many
of her sex, exerted that power only to lead to what was right.
Insensibly almost, my pride was quelled, and I became humble and
religiously inclined. Even the peculiarities of the sect, their meeting
at their places of worship, their drawling, and their quaint manner of
talking, became no longer a subject of dislike. I found out causes and
good reasons for everything which before appeared strange--sermons in
stones, and good in everything. Months passed away--my business
prospered--I had nearly repaid the money advanced by Mr Cophagus. I
was in heart and soul a Quaker, and I entered into the fraternity with a
feeling that I could act up to what I had promised. I was happy, quite
happy, and yet I had never received from Susannah Temple any further
than the proofs of sincere friendship. But I had much of her society,
and we were now very, very intimate. I found out what warm, what
devoted feelings were concealed under her modest, quiet exterior--how
well her mind was stored, and how right was that mind.
Often when I talked over past events, did I listen to her remarks, all
tending to one point, morality and virtue; often did I receive from her
at first a severe, but latterly a kind rebuke, when my discourse was
light and frivolous; but when I talked of merry subjects which were
innocent, what could be more joyous or more exhilarating than her
laugh--what more intoxicating than her sweet smile, when she approved of
my sentiments! and when animated by the subject, what could be more
musical or more impassioned than her bursts of eloquence, which were
invariably followed by a deep blush, when she recollected how she had
been carried away by excitement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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