“He had anonymously written poems and tales in her honour.
“But all had passed unnoticed.
“She treated him with cold respect, and met his timid overtures with blunt rebuffs.
“He had met her on the road and in the woods.
“But she passed him with a distant bow.
“Yet if in the greatest glee his presence chilled her into unusual coldness, and although unconscious of the cause she could neither sing nor play in his presence.
“Lawrence had often confessed that his case was hopeless.
“Many disliked him from some cause; and, following in their footsteps, Clare, he thought, treated him with marked indifference.
“It must be confessed, however, that although Clare had hitherto disclosed her secret thoughts to no one, yet, when alone, she often thought,
“‘Every one is loved but me! I am not pretty, I know, neither have I many accomplishments. I wish I were like Emma Bray, for everybody loves her.’