Mr. Perkins, though deprived of his lien upon Mrs. Clifford, by
reason of his claim, did not in the least forego his intentions.
His complaints and threatenings necessarily ceased--his tone was
something lowered; but he possessed a hold upon this silly woman's
prejudices which was far superior to any which he might before have
had upon her fears. His hostility to me was grateful to the hate
which she also entertained, and which seemed to be more thoroughly
infixed in her after her downfall--which, as it has been seen, she
ascribed to me; chiefly because of my predictions that such would
be the case. In due proportion to her hate for me, was her desire
to baffle my wishes, even though it might be at the expense of her
own daughter's life. But a vain mother has no affections--none, at
least, worthy of the name, and none which she is not prepared to
discard at the first requisition of her dearer self. Her hate of
me was so extreme as to render her blind to everything besides--her
daughter's sickness, the counsel of the physician, the otherwise
obvious vulgarity and meanness of Perkins, and that gross injustice
which I had suffered at her hands from the beginning, and which, to
many minds, might have amply justified in me the hostile feelings
which she laid to my charge. In this blindness she precipitated
events, and by her cruelty justified extremities in self-defence.
The moment that Julia exhibited some slight improvement, she was
summoned to an interview with Perkins, and in this interview her
mother solemnly swore that she should marry him. The base-minded
suitor stood by in silence, beheld the loathing of the maiden,
heard her distinct refusal, yet clung to his victim, and permitted
the violence of the mother, without rebuke--that rebuke which the
true gentleman might have administered in such a case, and which,
to forbear, was the foulest shame--the rebuke of his own decided
refusal to participate in such a sacrifice. But he was not capable
of this; and Julia, stunned and terrified, was shocked to hear
Mrs. Clifford appoint the night of the following Thursday for the
forced nuptials.
"She will consent--she shall consent, Mr. Perkins," were the vehement
assurances of the mother, as the craven-spirited suitor prepared
to take his leave. "I know her better than you do, and she knows
me. Do you fear nothing, but bring Mr--" (the divine) "along with
you. We shall put an end to this folly."
"Oh, do not, do not, mother, if you would not drive me mad!" was
the exclamation of the destined victim, as she threw herself at the
feet of her unnatural parent. "You will kill me to wed this man!
I can not marry him--I can not love him. Why would you force this
matter upon me--why! why!"
"Why will you resist me, Julia? why will you provoke your mother
to this degree? You have only to consent willingly, and you know
how kind I am."