The conduct of Madame Cheron in this affair had been entirely
governed by selfish vanity. Valancourt, in his first interview, had
with great candour laid open to her the true state of his present
circumstances, and his future expectancies, and she, with more
prudence than humanity, had absolutely and abruptly rejected his
suit. She wished her niece to marry ambitiously, not because she
desired to see her in possession of the happiness, which rank and
wealth are usually believed to bestow, but because she desired to
partake the importance, which such an alliance would give. When,
therefore, she discovered that Valancourt was the nephew of a person
of so much consequence as Madame Clairval, she became anxious for the
connection, since the prospect it afforded of future fortune and
distinction for Emily, promised the exaltation she coveted for
herself. Her calculations concerning fortune in this alliance were
guided rather by her wishes, than by any hint of Valancourt, or
strong appearance of probability; and, when she rested her
expectation on the wealth of Madame Clairval, she seemed totally to
have forgotten, that the latter had a daughter.
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