‘He went to his room to dress to go up to parade,’ said Mr. Ferrars, and off rushed the boy without waiting for permission.
Albinia sighed, and said, ‘It is a perfect passion.’
‘Don’t mourn over it. Love is too good a thing to be lamented over, and this may turn into a blessing.’
‘I used to be proud of it.’
‘So you shall be still. I am very much pleased with that poor lad.’
She would not raise her eyes, she was weary of hoping for Gilbert, and his last offence had touched her where she had never been touched before.
‘Whatever faults he has,’ Mr. Ferrars said, ‘I am much mistaken if his humility, love, and contrition be not genuine, and what more can the best have?’
‘Sincerity!’ said Albinia, hopelessly. ‘There’s no truth in him!’
‘You should discriminate between deliberate self-interested deception, and failure in truth for want of moral courage. Both are bad enough, but the latter is not “loving a lie,” not such a ruinous taint and evidence of corruption as the former.’
‘It is curious to hear you repeating my old excuses for him,’ said Albinia, ‘now that he has cast his glamour over you.’