"The rule of judgment is not far off, Eleanor; it is the golden rule. 'Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.' My dear, take the case of the person you could like best in the world;—would you have such a person marry you if his heart belonged to somebody else?"
"Not for the whole world!" said Eleanor raising her head which had fallen again. "But aunt Caxton, that is not my case. My heart is not anybody's."
"Put it differently then. Would you marry such a man, if you knew that his mere liking for another was stronger than his love for you?"
"I think—I would rather die!" said Eleanor slowly.
"Then I think your question is answered."
"But aunt Caxton, it is not answered. Mr. Carlisle would not feel so. I know, he would have me marry him, if he knew that my heart was a thousand times another person's—which it is not."
"Don't alter the case," said Mrs. Caxton, "except to make it stronger. If he were the right sort of man, he would not have you do so. There is no rule that we should make other people's wishes our standard of right."
"But aunt Caxton, I have done Mr. Carlisle grievous wrong. O, I feel that!—"
"Yes. What then?"
"Am I not bound to make him all the amends in my power?"