The things we do!

We arrange such matches every day; we sell or buy beauty, or rank, or
wealth; we inaugurate the bargain in churches with sacramental services,
in which the parties engaged call upon Heaven to witness their vows--we
know them to be lies, and we seal them with God's name. "I, Barnes,
promise to take you, Clara, to love and honour till death do us part" "I
Clara, promise to take you, Barnes," etc, etc. Who has not heard the
ancient words; and how many of us have uttered them, knowing them to be
untrue: and is there a bishop on the bench that has not amen'd the humbug
in his lawn sleeves and called a blessing over the kneeling perjurers?
"Does Mr. Harris know of Newcome's return?" Florac asked, when I
acquainted him with this intelligence. "Ce scelerat de Highgate--Va!"
"Does Newcome know that Lord Highgate is here?" I thought within myself,
admiring my wife's faithfulness and simplicity, and trying to believe
with that pure and guileless creature that it was not yet too late to
save the unhappy Lady Clara.


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