“All very right and very true,” said Rosamond: “but for a young person, Caroline, I could spare some of this premature reason. If there be some folly, at least there is some generosity, some sensibility often joined with a romantic temper: take care lest you ‘mistake reverse of wrong for right,’ and in your great zeal to avoid romance, run into selfishness.” “Selfishness!” “Why, yes--after all, what are these cold calculations about loving or not loving such a character as Colonel Hungerford--what is all this wonderfully long-sighted care of your own individual happiness, but selfishness?--moral, very moral selfishness, I grant.” Caroline coloured, paused, and when she answered, she spoke in a lower and graver tone and manner than usual. “If it be selfish to pursue, by the best means in my power, and by means which cannot hurt any human being, my own happiness, must I deserve to be called selfish?--Unless a woman be quite unconnected with others in society, without a family, and without friends--which, I thank God, is not my situation--it is impossible to hazard or to destroy our own happiness by any kind of imprudence, without destroying the happiness of others. Therefore imprudence, call it romance, or what you please, is often want of generosity--want of thought for the happiness of our friends, as well as for our own.” “Well come off!” said Rosamond, laughing: “you have proved, with admirable logic, that prudence is the height of generosity. But, my dear Caroline, do not speak so very seriously, and do not look with such ‘sweet austere composure.’--I don’t in earnest accuse you of selfishness--I was wrong to use that ugly word; but I was vexed with you for being more prudent than even good old Mrs. Hungerford.” At these words tears filled Caroline’s eyes. “Dear, kind Mrs. Hungerford,” she exclaimed, “in the warmth of her heart, in the fulness of her kindness for me, once in her life Mrs. Hungerford said perhaps an imprudent word, expressed a wish of which her better judgment may have repented.” “No, no!” cried Rosamond--“her better, her best judgment must have confirmed her opinion of you. She never will repent of that wish. Why should you think she has repented of it, Caroline?”