She always created herself one different from mine,
contrary to it, and to that even of her daughter, which already was no
longer separated from it. She, her other children, and grand-children,
became so many leeches, and the least evil these did to Theresa was
robbing her. The poor girl, accustomed to submit, even to her
nieces, suffered herself to be pilfered and governed without saying
a word; and I perceived with grief that by exhausting my purse, and
giving her advice, I did nothing that could be of any real advantage
to her. I endeavored to detach her from her mother; but she constantly
resisted such a proposal. I could not but respect her resistance,
and esteemed her the more for it; but her refusal was not on this
account less to the prejudice of us both. Abandoned to her mother
and the rest of her family, she was more their companion than mine,
and rather at their command than mistress of herself. Their avarice
was less ruinous than their advice was pernicious to her; in fact, if,
on account of the love she had for me, added to her good natural
disposition, she was not quite their slave, she was enough so to
prevent in a great measure the effect of the good maxims I
endeavored to instill into her, and, notwithstanding all my efforts,
to prevent our being united.
Thus was it, that notwithstanding a sincere and reciprocal
attachment, in which I had lavished all the tenderness of my heart,
the void in that heart was never completely filled.
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