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The Refusal, by the Author of the Tale of the Times
The Refusal by the Author of the Tale of the Times Author:Jane West Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: lier uncle's injunctions, and what she esteemed his unfounded aversion to Selina, put into his hands the correspondence which is contained in the eighth chapter.... more » Lord Avondel retired to ruminate, and Emily had now leisure to reflect on her own impatience in not quietly submitting to the wise restrictions which her aunt had imposed. But curiosity still continued to be a powerful stimulus. The mystery was only in part developed, and whtfe she felt gratified in having her/vn opinion of Selina's worth confirmed by so powerful an attestation as t e fixed attachment of such a man. as Lord Avondel, her utter inability to guess at the obstacles which could separate these congenial minds caused a very painful emotion. For herself, she felt that her honoured aunt was the only person to whom she could allow a preference in her husband's affections,and she still hoped such a disclosure might be made as would re-unite those in friendship who had been disjoined in love. Meantime, Lord Avondel, with tre'- mulous impatience, ran over the well- known characters of the beloved of his soul. His heart swelled with anguish at every allusion to her own situation, and every testimony which she gave to his deserts. He sometimes blamed the proud resentment which had prevented him from making any inquiry after her, and had even caused him to cherish a hope that she was no more. He knew that Lady Honoria Mandeville was heiress to the house of Delamore, and consequently sister to Selina, but Sir Walter's dislike of his brother's wife occasioned a general reserve at Mandeville castle respecting every branch of thehousepf Montolieu; andLady Selina had kept up but a slight intercourse with her own family. From these reasons, added to a lapse of time, and the intervention of other objects, Lord Avondel did no...« less