seen standing more acutely divided. Well may the lady be silent; her
little sins are magnified to herself to the proportion of the greatness
of heart forgiving her; and that, with his mysterious penetration and a
throb of her conscience, holds her tongue-tied. She does not imagine the
effect of her silence upon the magnanimous wretch. Some of these lovers,
it has to be stated in sadness for the good name of man, have not
preserved an attitude that said so nobly, 'Child, thou art human--thou
art woman!' They have undone it and gone to pieces with an injured
lover's babble of persecuting inquiries for confessions. Some, on the
contrary, retaining the attitude, have been unable to digest the tonic;
they did not prepare their systems as they did their dose, possibly
thinking the latter a supererogatory heavy thump on a trifle, the which
was performed by them artfully for a means of swallowing and getting that
obnoxious trifle well down. These are ever after love's dyspeptics.
Very few indeed continue at heart in harmony with their opening note to
the silent fair, because in truth the general anticipation is of her
proclaiming, if not angelical innocence, a softly reddened or blush-rose
of it, where the little guiltiness lies pathetic on its bed of white.

Alvan's robustness of temper, as a conqueror pleased with his capture,
could inspirit him to feel as he said it:

'I know all; what matters that to me?' Even her silence, extending the
'all' beyond limits, as it did to the over-knowing man, who could number
these indicative characteristics of the young woman: impulsive, without
will, readily able to lie: her silence worked no discord in him. He
would have remarked, that he was not looking out for a saint, but rather
for a sprightly comrade, perfectly feminine, thoroughly mastered, young,
graceful, comely, and a lady of station. Once in his good keeping, her
lord would answer for her. And this was a manfully generous view of the