She had faith in herself, too, and was
confident that her promise to marry no man but Brandon ended that
important matter likewise, and put the French marriage totally out of
the question for all time to come.
As for Brandon, he was safe enough in his part of the contract. He
knew only too well that no woman could approach Mary in her inimitable
perfections, and he had tested his love closely enough, in his
struggle against it, to feel that it had taken up its abode in his
heart to stay, whether he wanted it or not. He knew that he was safe
in making her a promise which he was powerless to break. All this he
fully explained to Mary, as they sat looking out of the window at the
dreary rain which had come on again with the gathering gloom of night.
Brandon did not tell her that his faith in her ultimate ability to
keep her promise was as small as it was great in his own. Neither did
he dampen her spirits by telling her that there was a reason, outside
of himself, which in all probability would help him in keeping his
word, and save her from the pangs of that jealousy she so much feared;
namely, that he would most certainly wed the block and ax should the
king get possession of him.
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