“I never said anything of the kind. Whom you should marry is a question you must decide for yourself. All that I said was, that if you marry Lord Roehampton, it is fortunate he is so much liked by Mr. Neuchatel.”
“I shall not marry Lord Roehampton,” said Adriana with some determination, “and if he has condescended to think of marrying me,” she continued, “as Lady Montfort says, I think his motives are so obvious that if I felt for him any preference it would be immediately extinguished.”
“Ah! now you are going to ride your hobby, my dear Adriana. On that subject we never can agree; were I an heiress, I should have as little objection to be married for my fortune as my face. Husbands, as I have heard, do not care for the latter too long. Have more confidence in yourself, Adriana. If Lord Roehampton wishes to marry you, it is that he is pleased with you personally, that he appreciates your intelligence, your culture, your accomplishments, your sweet disposition, and your gentle nature. If in addition to these gifts you have wealth, and even great wealth, Lord Roehampton will not despise it, will not—for I wish to put it frankly—be uninfluenced by the circumstances, for Lord Roehampton is a wise man; but he would not marry you if he did not believe that you would make for him a delightful companion in life, that you would adorn his circle and illustrate his name.”
“Ah! I see you are all in the plot against me,” said Adriana. “I have no friend.”
“My dear Adriana, I think you are unreasonable; I could say even unkind.”
“Oh! pardon me, dear Myra,” said Adriana, “but I really am so very unhappy.”
“About what? You are your own mistress in this matter. If you do not like to marry Lord Roehampton, nobody will attempt to control you. What does it signify what Lady Montfort says? or anybody else, except your own parents, who desire nothing but your happiness? I should never have mentioned Lord Roehampton to you had you not introduced the subject yourself. And all that I meant to say was, what I repeat, that your creed that no one can wish to marry you except for your wealth is a morbid conviction, and must lead to unhappiness; that I do not believe that Lord Roehampton is influenced in his overture, if he make one, by any unworthy motive, and that any woman whose heart is disengaged should not lightly repudiate such an advance from such a man, by which, at all events, she should feel honoured.”
“But my heart is engaged,” said Adriana in an almost solemn tone.
“Oh! that is quite a different thing!” said Myra, turning pale.
“Yes!” said Adriana; “I am devoted to one whose name I cannot now mention, perhaps will never mention, but I am devoted to him. Yes!” she added with fire, “I am not altogether so weak a thing as the Lady Montforts and some other persons seem to think me—I can feel and decide for myself, and it shall never be said of me that I purchased love.”