He undoubtedly intended to do what honor, generosity, and his future
father-in-law, urged him to do; but it was less from an abstract love of
virtue, than from an overmastering unwillingness to give up Sophie (his
affection for whom was the most deeply-seated necessity of his nature--a
fact which must be borne in mind through all that follows), and
also--this was likewise a consideration of the greatest weight; indeed,
Sophie alone counted for more--also, from a very confident conviction
that, after every thing had been accomplished, according to the highest
dictates of truth, and justice, and all that--he would not, to all
intents and purposes, lose his fortune after all; that, whatever might
be the legal disposition of it, all the enjoyments and benefits that it
could confer would still be his, with the additional grace of having
acted in a most lofty and self-sacrificing spirit; that, in short, and
to use a homely illustration, he would be able to give away his cake and
eat it too.
After being safely landed at the boarding-house--Abbie was not at home
at the moment--Bressant bade farewell to the professor, and, assisted by
the fat Irish servant-girl, carried his box up to his room. It was
neatly swept, dusted, and put in order; a bunch of fresh flowers upon
the table; others, in pots, upon the window-sill.
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