his misinterpreting my feelings vanished; and to me the result of all
that had passed was a firmer conviction, than I had ever yet felt, of
his regard.
It was evident, I thought, that after all the disadvantages I had had
on some points, and after all the pains that Lord Mowbray had taken
to please, Mr. Montenero far preferred me, and was interested in the
highest degree about my health, and about every thing that concerned
me. Nevertheless, Lord Mowbray persevered in showing the most profound
respect for Mr. Montenero, by acting an increasing taste for his
conversation, deference for his talents, and affection for his virtues.
This certainly succeeded better with Berenice than any thing else his
lordship had tried; but when he found it please, he overdid it a little.
The exaggeration was immediately detected by Berenice: the heart easily
detects flattery. Once, when Lord Mowbray praised her father for some
accomplishment which he did not possess--for pronouncing and reading
English remarkably well--his daughter’s glance at the flatterer
expressed indignation, suddenly extinguished by contempt. Detected and
baffled, he did not well know how, by a woman whom he considered as so
much his inferior in ability and address, Lord Mowbray found it often
difficult to conceal his real feelings of resentment, and then it was
that he began to hate her. I, who knew his countenance too well to
be deceived by his utmost command of face, saw the evil turn of the
eye--saw looks from time to time that absolutely alarmed me--looks of
hatred, malice, vengeance, suddenly changed to smiles, submission, and
softness of demeanour. Though extremely vain, and possessed with an
opinion that no woman could resist him, yet, with his understanding
and his experience in gallantry, I could not conceive it possible that,
after all the signs and tokens he had seen, he should persist in the
hope of succeeding; he was certainly aware that I was preferred. I knew
it to be natural that jealousy and anger should increase with fears and
doubts of success; and yet there was something incomprehensible in
the manner which, before Mr. Montenero, he now adopted towards me: he
appeared at once to yield the palm to me, and yet to be resolved not to
give up the contest; he seemed as if he was my rival against his will,
and my friend if I would but permit it; he refrained, with ostentatious
care, from giving me any provocation, checking himself often, and
drawing back with such expressions as these:--“If it were any other man
upon earth--but Mr. Harrington might say and do what he pleased--in any
other circumstances, he could not hazard contradicting or quarrelling
with _him_; indeed he could never forget--”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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