To her,
at the moment, it seemed as though I had cruelly deceived her. In
truth, the one person really deceived had been myself.
And here I must explain, on behalf of the lady, that when she first
joined me she had no other view than that of seeing the banks of the
Jordan in that guise which she had chosen to assume, in order to
escape from the solemnity and austerity of a disagreeable relative.
She had been very foolish, and that was all. I take it that she had
first left her uncle at Constantinople, but on this point I never
got certain information. Afterwards, while we were travelling
together, the idea had come upon her, that she might go on as far as
Alexandria with me. And then I know nothing further of the lady's
intentions, but I am certain that her wishes were good and pure.
Her uncle had been intolerable to her, and she had fled from him.
Such had been her offence, and no more.
"Then, sir," said the baronet, giving me back my letter, "you must
be a double-dyed villain."
"And you, sir," said I -. But here Julia Weston interrupted me.
"Uncle, you altogether wrong this gentleman," she said.
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