Meanwhile she has been carrying on a secret intrigue with that gentleman
(she must have got this from her "Christian" mother), and when her father
comes to know of it he suddenly exhibits an unsuspected gift of
sentimentality ("My baby Con! my baby Con!" he sobs), and, in terror lest
his ewe-lamb's name should be tainted by the breath of scandal, he offers
his late secretary a heavy sum of money to make an honest woman of her. It
sounds a little inconsistent, but of course there may have been a nice
differentiation in the old rogue's mind between a moral and a criminal
offence, in favour of the latter.
As for _Constance_ I have seldom met a less seizable character. If she was
the result of environment there was no visible sign to show how it infected
her. We simply had to take Mr. ESMOND'S word for it. To me the menage
seemed to be of the most respectable. But, of course, you can always
attribute anything to your surroundings. One environment is vicious and so
drives you to vice; another is virtuous with the same effect.
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