Glenmurray having put an end to these suspicions entirely, by a candid avowal of his feelings, and of his wish to have escaped directly if possible, the major shook him affectionately by the hand, and told him that though he firmly believed too much learning had made him mad, yet, that he was as much his friend as ever. 'But what vexes me is,' said he, 'that you should have turned the head of that sweet girl. The opinion of the world is every thing to a woman.'
'Aye, it is indeed,' replied Glenmurray; 'and, spite of ridicule, I would marry Adeline directly, as I said before, to guaranty her against reproach,—I wish you would try to persuade her to be mine legally.'
'That I will,' eagerly replied the major; 'I am sure I shall prevail with her. I am sure I shall soon convince her that the opinions she holds are nothing but nonsense.'
'You will find,' replied Glenmurray, blushing, 'that her arguments are unanswerable notwithstanding.'
'What, though taken from the cursed books you mentioned?'
'You forget that I wrote these books.'
'So I did; and I wish she could forget it also: and then they would appear to her, as they must do no doubt to all people of common sense, and that is, abominable stuff.'
Glenmurray bit his lips,—but the author did not long absorb the lover, and he urged the major to return with him to his lodgings.
'Aye, that I will,' cried he: 'and what is more, my sister Emma, who writes admirably, shall write her a letter to convince her that she had better be married directly.'
'She had better converse with her,' said Glenmurray.