With such a regard for her, indeed, as his had long been,
a regard founded on the most endearing claims of innocence
and helplessness, and completed by every recommendation
of growing worth, what could be more natural than
the change? Loving, guiding, protecting her, as he
had been doing ever since her being ten years old,
her mind in so great a degree formed by his care,
and her comfort depending on his kindness, an object to him
of such close and peculiar interest, dearer by all his
own importance with her than any one else at Mansfield,
what was there now to add, but that he should learn
to prefer soft light eyes to sparkling dark ones.
And being always with her, and always talking confidentially,
and his feelings exactly in that favourable state
which a recent disappointment gives, those soft light
eyes could not be very long in obtaining the pre-eminence.
Having once set out, and felt that he had done so on
this road to happiness, there was nothing on the side
of prudence to stop him or make his progress slow;
no doubts of her deserving, no fears of opposition of taste,
no need of drawing new hopes of happiness from dissimilarity
of temper.
Pages:
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757