ROSE, BLANCHE, AND VIOLET. BY G. H. LEWES, ESQ. AUTHOR OF "RANTHORPE," "BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY," ETC. ETC. Il n'y a point de vertu proprement dite, sans victoire sur nous-mêmes, et tout ce qui ne nous coûte rien, ne vaut rien. DE MAISTRE. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: SMITH, ELDER AND CO., 65, CORNHILL. ---- 1848. London: Printed by STEWART and MURRAY, Old Bailey. CONTENTS. ---- BOOK VI. CHAPTER I.--The Idler's Day II.--Another Literary Soirée III.--The Tiger Tastes Blood IV.--The Young Father V.--Renunciation VI.--Man purified by Experience VII.--Poor Vyner VIII.--Rehearsal of the Opera IX.--Cecil Succumbs X.--A Gentleman's Life XI.--Deeper, and Deeper Still XII.--Hester's Love BOOK VII. CHAPTER I.--George Maxwell II.--Rose again sees Julius III.--Woman's Love IV.--A Beam of Sunshine in the House V.--Violet to Marmaduke VI.--Brighter Scenes VII.--Another Love Scene VIII.--Violet writes again IX.--Frank in reduced Circumstances X.--Effects of Dining Well XI.--The Honeymoon BOOK VIII. CHAPTER I.--Amiable People II.--Love not killed by Unkindness III.--Captain Heath Returns IV.--Humbled Pride V.--"Black Wins" VI.--Cecil's Weakness VII.--All Hope Destroyed VIII.--The Forgery IX.--Ruin X.--The Sinner that Repenteth XI.--The Wife awaiting her Husband XII.--The Gambler's End XIII.--Explanation XIV.--The Alternative XV.--Those Left to Weep XVI.--The Voice of Passion Epilogue ROSE, BLANCHE, AND VIOLET. BOOK VI. CHAPTER I. THE IDLER'S DAY. "Nature hath given us legs to go to our objects, not wings to fly to them."--EASTWARD HOE. The spring of 1841 was very mild, and this enabled Cecil and Blanche to endure the wretched, comfortless state of Mrs. Tring's boarding-house, better than if the weather had been more rigorous. The cheapness, which was now becoming more and more important to them, was therefore a sufficient compensation for the want of comfort. They had renewed their engagement, hoping that either the comic opera, or the historical picture, would so improve their circumstances as to admit of their removal in the summer. They had long awakened from their holiday dream to find that, however pleasant the change in their position, it was only pleasant as a change; the novelty once worn off, the scene appeared in all its ugliness; or rather, let me say, appeared so to Cecil. He was of a luxurious habit, and felt privation keenly. Blanche felt it less, and her love for him made home happy. She had never been so happy. Cecil was all she could desire.