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It ht of Mrs Arnot gave him a drearier sense of isolation than theto a totally different world fro in common with her She seeel of mercy, and from an infinite distance, and her visits els, few and far between, and, in view of his character, must soon cease He shrank from her purity and nobility even while draard her by her sympathy He instinctively felt that in all her deep commiseration of hi evil of his nature, and that this evil, retained, would speedily and inevitably separate them forever Could he be rid of it? He did not know He could not then see how In his weakness and despondency it see, and an essential part of hiht star that had set, and was no longer above his di his hold on the companionship and remembrance of others, he was thrown back upon himself, and this led hi that it would be a horrible thing thus to be chained forever to a self tohich the higher faculties of his soulEven now he hated hied with himself--in view of the folly of which he had been capable What could be worse than the endless coed hiht upon his heart grew heavier, and the chill of dread ht see it He saw a nature to which, froence, iratifying base passions, but weak as water in resisting evil and thwarting its vile inclinations The pride and hope that had sustained hione, and he felt neither strength nor courage to atte further He saw himself helpless and prostrate before his fate, and yet that fate was so terrible that he shrank fro dread
What could he do? Was it possible to do anything? Had he not lost his footing? If a le against the tide is full of hope, but beyond that point no effort can avail Had he not been swept so far doard the final plunge that grim despair were better than frantic but vain effort?