Anthony Trollope: The Belton Estate

30. CHAPTER XXX: MARY BELTON (continued)

'If you mean to tell me that you cannot love him, of course I must give over,' said Mary, not caring at all for men and women in general, but full of anxiety for her brother. 'Do you mean to say that that you can never love him?' It almost seemed, from her face, that she was determined utterly to quarrel with her new-found cousin to quarrel and to go at once away if she got an answer that would not please her.

'Dear Mary, do not press me so hard.'

'But I want to press you hard. It is not right that he should lose his life in longing and hoping.'

'He will not lose his life, Mary.'

'I hope not not not if I can help it. I trust that he will be strong enough to get rid of his trouble to put it down and trample it under his feet.' Clara, as she heard this, began to ask herself what it was that was to be trampled under Will's feet. 'I think he will be man enough to overcome his passion; and then, perhaps you may regret what you have lost.'

'Now you are unkind to me.'

'Well; what would you have me say? Do I not know that he is offering you the best gift that he can give? Did I not begin by swearing to you that he loved you with a passion of love that cannot but be flattering to you? If it is to be love in vain, this to him is a great misfortune. And, yet, when I say that I hope that he will recover, you tell me that I am unkind.'

'No not for that.'

'May I tell him to come and plead for himself?'

Again Clara was silent, not knowing how to answer that last question. And when she did answer it, she answered it thoughtlessly. 'Of course he knows that he can do that.'