Доводи розуму
Chapter 21
IamsureyouhearnothingbutgoodofhimfromColonelWallis;andwhocanknowhimbetterthanColonelWallis?”
“MydearMrsSmith,MrElliot’swifehasnotbeendeadmuchabovehalfayear.Heoughtnottobesupposedtobepayinghisaddressestoanyone.”
“Oh!iftheseareyouronlyobjections,”criedMrsSmith,archly,“MrElliotissafe,andIshallgivemyselfnomoretroubleabouthim.Donotforgetmewhenyouaremarried,that’sall.Lethimknowmetobeafriendofyours,andthenhewillthinklittleofthetroublerequired,whichitisverynaturalforhimnow,withsomanyaffairsandengagementsofhisown,toavoidandgetridofashecan;verynatural,perhaps.Ninety-nineoutofahundredwoulddothesame.Ofcourse,hecannotbeawareoftheimportancetome.Well,mydearMissElliot,Ihopeandtrustyouwillbeveryhappy.MrElliothassensetounderstandthevalueofsuchawoman.Yourpeacewillnotbeshipwreckedasminehasbeen.Youaresafeinallworldlymatters,andsafeinhischaracter.Hewillnotbeledastray;hewillnotbemisledbyotherstohisruin.”
“No,”saidAnne,“Icanreadilybelieveallthatofmycousin.Heseemstohaveacalmdecidedtemper,notatallopentodangerousimpressions.Iconsiderhimwithgreatrespect.Ihavenoreason,fromanythingthathasfallenwithinmyobservation,todootherwise.ButIhavenotknownhimlong;andheisnotaman,Ithink,tobeknownintimatelysoon.
