For love and life; vol. 2 of 2

COLLECTION OF B R I T I S H A U T H O R S TAUCHNITZ EDITION. VOL. 1419. FOR LOVE AND LIFE BY MRS. OLIPHANT. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II.
TAUCHNITZ EDITION
By the same Author,

BY MRS. OLIPHANT, AUTHOR OF “CHRONICLES OF CARLINGFORD,” “OMBRA,” “MAY,” ETC. COPYRIGHT EDITION. I N T W O V O L U M E S. VOL. II. LEIPZIG BERNHARD TAUCHNITZ 1874. The Right of Translation is reserved.


FOR LOVE AND LIFE.
There is, perhaps, no such crisis in the life of a man as that which occurs when, for the first time, he feels the welfare and happiness of another to be involved in his own. A woman is seldom so entirely detached from ordinary ties of nature as to make this discovery suddenly, or even to be in the position when such a discovery is possible. So long as you have but yourself to think of, you may easily be pardoned for thinking very little of that self, for being careless of its advantage, and letting favourable opportunities slip through your fingers; but suppose you find out in a moment, without warning, that your interests are another’s interests, that to push your own fortune is to push some one else’s fortune, much dearer to you than yourself; and that, in short, you are no longer you at all, but the active member of a double personality—is as startling a sensation as can well be conceived. This was the idea which Edgar had received into his mind for the first time, and it was not wonderful that it ex cited, nay, intoxicated him, almost beyond his power of self-control. I say for the first time, though he had been on the eve of asking Gussy Thornleigh to marry him three years before, and had therefore realised, or thought he realised, what it would be to enter into such a relationship; but in those days Edgar was rich, and petted by the world, and his bride would have been only a delight and honour the more, not anything calling for sacrifice or effort on his part. He could have given her everything she desired in the world, without losing a night’s rest, or disturbing a single habit. Now the case was very different. The new-born pride which had made him, to his own surprise, so reluctant to apply to anyone for employment, and so little satisfied to dance attendance on Lord Newmarch, died at that single blow.