But, as he wanted the mother's wealth, he resolved to pursue his advantage with her, and trust to some future chance for giving him possession of the daughter. In his dealings with men, Sir Patrick was a man of honour; in his dealings with women, completely the reverse: he considered them as a race of subordinate beings, and that if, like horses, they were well lodged, fed, and kept clean, they had no right to complain.
Constantly therefore did he besiege Mrs. Mowbray with his conversation, and Adeline with his eyes; and the very libertine gaze with which he often beheld her, gave a pang to Glenmurray which was but too soon painfully increased.
Sir Patrick was the only man of fashion who did not object to visit at Mrs. Mowbray's on account of her intimacy with Glenmurray; but he had his own private reasons for going thither, and continued to visit at Mrs Mowbray's though Glenmurray was generally there, and sometimes he and the latter gentleman were the whole of their company.
One evening they and two ladies were drinking tea at Mrs Mowbray's lodgings, when Mrs Mowbray was unusually silent and Adeline unusually talkative. Adeline scarcely ever spoke in her mother's presence, from deference to her abilities; and whatever might be Mrs Mowbray's defects in other respects, her conversational talents and her uncommon command of words were indisputable. But this evening, as I before observed, Adeline, owing to her mother's tender abstractions, was obliged to exert herself for the entertainment of the guests.
It so happened, also, that something was said by one of the party which led to the subject of marriage, and Adeline was resolved not to let so good an opportunity pass of proving to Glenmurray how sincerely she approved his doctrine on that subject. Immediately, with an unreserve which nothing but her ignorance of the world, and the strange education which she had received, could at all excuse, she began to declaim against marriage, as an institution at once absurd, unjust, and immoral, and to declare that she would never submit to so contemptible a form, or profane the sacred ties of love by so odious and unnecessary a ceremony.
This extraordinary speech, though worded elegantly and delivered gracefully, was not received by any of her hearers, except Sir Patrick, with any thing like admiration. The baronet, indeed, clapped his hands, and cried 'Bravo! a fine spirited girl, upon my word!' in a manner so loud, and so offensive to the feelings of Adeline, that, like the orator of old, she was tempted to exclaim, 'What foolish thing can I have said, that has drawn forth this applause?'
But Mrs Mowbray, though she could not help admiring the eloquence which she attributed to her example,—was shocked at hearing Adeline declare that her practice should be consonant to her theory; while Glenmurray, though Adeline had only expressed his sentiments, and his reason approved what she had uttered, felt his delicacy and his feelings wounded by so open and decided an avowal of her opinions, and intended conduct in consequence of them; and he was still more hurt, when he saw how much it delighted Sir Patrick, and offended the rest of the company; who, after a silence, the result of surprise and disgust, suddenly arose, and, coldly wishing Mrs Mowbray good night, left the house.
By Mrs Mowbray the cause of this abrupt departure was unsuspected: but Adeline, who had more observation, was convinced that she was the cause of it; and sighing deeply at the prejudices of the world, she sought to console herself by looking at Glenmurray, expecting to find in his eyes an expression of delight and approbation. To her great disappointment, however, his countenance was sad; while Sir Patrick, on the contrary, had an expression of impudent triumph in his look, which made her turn blushing from his ardent gaze, and indignantly follow her mother, who was then leaving the room.
As she passed him, Sir Patrick caught her hand rapturously to his lips (an action which made Glenmurray start from his chair), and exclaimed, 'Really you are the only honest little woman I ever knew! I always was sure that what you just now said was the opinion of all your sex, though they were so confounded coy they would not own it.'
'Own what Sir?' asked the astonished Adeline.